NHL ‘reevaluating’ ASG after 4 Nations success
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Kristen Shilton
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The NHL is teasing a potential new era for its annual all-star showcase.
Following the runaway success of last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off, which replaced the NHL’s traditional All-Star Game, the league is prepared to roll out something entirely different again in February 2026 when the New York Islanders host the sport’s top skaters at UBS Arena.
“We’re reevaluating how we want to do things, because I think we’ve raised the bar about as high as you can for an all-star game in any sport,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday, speaking on the final day of the league’s annual general manager meetings. “And so we want to make sure whatever we do is up to the standards that we’ve created.”
The 4 Nations was the league’s first foray into a best-on-best international competition since it staged a World Cup in 2016. The tournament pitted NHL stars from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland in a round-robin format that culminated with Canada winning the title over the United States off Connor McDavid‘s overtime goal.
The tournament was a precursor to the NHL returning to the Olympics, after the NHL opted out of the 2018 Games and didn’t attend in 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the regular season. Bettman said Wednesday that the league was meeting with the IIHF later this month to “conclude matters” in anticipation of NHL skaters appearing at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games.
The overwhelmingly positive response to 4 Nations — especially in comparison to the NHL’s typical All-Star Game — has encouraged the league to lean into more new ideas. Asked if 4 Nations had affected future all-star games, Bettman demurred — “that’s a hypothetical question” — before clarifying that a forthcoming reveal is still under construction.
“We’ve promised the Islanders an event,” Bettman said. “We’re focused on what we need to do. I don’t want to be pinned down in this moment. We’re still going through our cycle of what we’re doing in the here and now. I don’t want to have speculation.”
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said “everything is on the table” and acknowledged that announcing what the league has planned before the playoffs begin in mid-April would make sense.
Ahead in April for the NHL will also be collective bargaining talks with the players’ association. The current CBA expires in September 2026, and Bettman said the two sides will sit down starting the week of April 1 to discuss a new agreement.
Bettman was predictably vague on the agenda for those meetings but didn’t anticipate tackling major hurdles.
“I don’t think on either side we’re looking at fundamental issues,” Bettman said. “I’m anticipating based on everything I’m hearing from [NHLPA director] Marty [Walsh] that we’re going to have good discussions. It’s more logistics and operations, understanding technical aspects of their day-to-day lives of dealing with players and rosters and contracts and the like. We want to hear what are issues in their mind that are problems, what are things they’d like us to consider. … I’m hoping we can do this quickly, quietly and painlessly.”
One negotiation point could involve new rules pertaining to junior hockey and college eligibility. The NCAA voted late last year to allow players from the Canadian Hockey League to maintain their college eligibility. Previously CHL skaters had been considered professionals by the NCAA’s standard of amateurism rules because some CHL prospects had signed NHL entry-level contracts.
What Bettman doesn’t expect on the table is an adjustment to the playoff format. While the NHL is obviously invested in a facelift for its all-star competition, there is no such desire from Bettman to revamp how the league fills out its postseason bracket.
“I like exactly what we have,” Bettman said. “If you look at the races that we’re having in the regular season, playoffs have started already. We’re in our play-in tournament. I think it’s terrific. What could be more compelling and exciting?”
Right after the NHL crowns its next champion, it will dive into its new decentralized draft. Instead of gathering all 32 teams in one city for the 2025 entry draft, the league will have one representative from each club in Los Angeles to greet prospects while most team members remain in their home cities.
Bettman isn’t committed to that format forever, though. The NHL will wait and see how things go in June and take feedback from clubs on a path forward. Until then, consider the NHL to be fully embracing yet another new chapter.
“This is what the clubs said they wanted,” Bettman said. “And a number have said, well, maybe we should have the other [format]. We said, listen, we’ll go through this experience and if there’s a surge of interest to go back, we’ll bring it back to the clubs [for their feedback]. We’ve let the clubs make this determination, and we’ll execute it in accordance with their desire to be decentralized. But if there is a desire to go back … we can be flexible.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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