They call it the mid-season classic, but truth be told, there’s been little that could be considered classic about the NHL All-Star Game in the past couple of decades. Throwing defense and checking, not to mention any semblance of intensity, out the window, the NHL All-Star Game began to look more like an NBA Game, with end-to-end rushes and so many goals that the rink rat in charge of replacing the red lights behind the goal nets was kept on speed dial. From a bettor’s viewpoint, there wasn’t much to wager on beyond the over. [+]

That situation, though, appears to have changed. The NHL may have hit on a magical formula with its divisonal three-on-three tournament format. It was entertaining, fast-paced, exciting and dare we say it, passionate and intense, not to mention well worth a wager or two.

Best NHL All Star Game Sportsbook Odds

If you desire to put money down on the NHL All-Star Game, perhaps your best options are the exotic wagers that are offered on the game. Who will score the first goal? [+]

Which goalie will allow the most goals? Who will earn the MVP award? Betting on a game that the players don’t necessarily take a win at all costs approach to might not be the most well advised piece of wagering, but hey, that’s why they call in gambling. And perhaps after the switch to the three-on-three tournament format, the one that made the All-Star Game worth watching again, wagering on the outcome isn’t as crazy as it seems to sound.

What Is The NHL All Star Game Matchup

Over the course of its history, the NHL All-Star Game has undergone more changes than Lady Gaga does wardrobe changes during the course of one of her concerts. [+]

Originally, during the six-team era, the NHL All-Stars faced off against the defending Stanley Cup champions and this format proved a winner. The league foolishly experimented with a First Team vs. Second Team All-Star Game format for a couple of years in the early 1950s but quickly realized the error of its ways and swtched back to the tried and true formula.

Expansion in the late 1960s demanded a format change to where the players from the six new teams faced off against the stars of the so-called Original Six clubs and at first, this format was also worth watching. Many of the expansion club All-Stars had been shunted aside by the six existing clubs and had a point to prove that they belonged, so this made for some intensity in the All-Star Game.

That soon faded as the expansion teams became more established and ever since the NHL has sought to find a formula that would put some passion into their All-Star Game, by pitting all four divisions against each other in a three-on-three tournament, it would appear that they’ve finally landed on a winner.

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