Barry Melrose

The North America and World All-Stars measure their skills against each other in Friday's SuperSkills competition (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET).

Players competed against each other in six categories. ESPN analyst Barry Melrose, a former NHL coach, explains why each skill is important and how the environment is different from an actual game.

The Rules
All players must compete in at least one event. Should and event end in a tie, each team will receive one goal. The goaltender with the fewest total goals against from both the "Rapid Fire" and "Breakaway Relay" events wins the goaltenders competition. If there is a tie between squads after the events, the winning squad shall be determined by a penalty shot competition.

	Lightning winger Fredrik Modin took advantage of Al MacInnis' absence last year, and became the first forward to win the Hardest Shot event (102.1 mph).

Puck Control Relay
The first race is a relay with three players from each team. The second is a race between one representative from each team. Players are required to carry the puck through a pylon course and are judged by the finishing time and degree of control of the puck. One goal is awarded to the winning squad of each race.
Melrose: The cones are good in making the players weave in and out of traffic, but they're not real defenders. If they were, you would have a whack across your arms on the way by.

Fastest Skater
This event consists of three one-on-one races where a player from each team completes one rotation around the rink beginning and ending at the red line. One goal is awarded to the team that has the lowest average time and another goal goes to the squad with the fastest skater.
Melrose: A great contest, but you don't have a puck. Rarely does straight ahead speed matter unless you're trying to chase someone down from behind. Speed carrying a puck is more important.

Hardest Shot
Four players from each team fire a puck into the goal. Each player receives two shots, and the faster of the two shots -- measured in miles-per-hour -- counts for the event. The puck must enter the goal to be official. A goal is awarded to the team with the higher average speed and to the team with the player with the hardest shot.
Melrose: It's great to know who in the NHL has the hardest shot, but in a game you not only have to catch the pass and control it, you have to deal with getting a shot off before a defender sprawls to block it. Unfortunately, you don't get to drill the puck with no one near you.

Accuracy Shooting
Three players from each team will participate to determine which players shoot with the most precision. Each player has eight attempts to hit four targets, located at each corner of the goal. Two players, one on each side of the goal, alternately pass four pucks to the shooter positioned 25 feet from the goal. Two goals will be awarded: One to the individual winner's squad and another to the team with the most targets hit in the fewest shots.
Melrose: In a game, you don't get time to stand still in the slot and pick your corner with a big wrist shot. More often than not you have to get off a quick one-timer with a defenseman cross checking you in the face or hacking at your ankles. Either that or you're streaking down a wing and shooting on the move.

Pass and score
Three players and one goaltender from each team participate in this drill. Each line of players has three attempts to attack the goal on a three-on-one against the goaltender. The goaltenders' goals allowed are combined with the final "Breakaway Relay" to determine the winner of the goaltender competition.
Melrose: (see breakaway)

Breakaway relay
Nine players and one goaltender from each team take part in this event. Each goaltender faces three skaters from the opposing team on a breakaway. Each goal scored counts toward the overall scoring for the player's squad. All goals count toward the team's total score. The goaltenders' individual save records are combined with the "Rapid Fire" event to determine the winner of the goaltender competition.
Melrose: Of all the skills, the breakaway is the easiest to recreate. It's just one-on-one with the skater and the goalie. The three-on-one is similar, just slower.