* Saturday will be packed with announcements for the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend, including the unveiling of the 12 additional players selected via fan vote across ABC/ESPN+ (during first intermission of the Rangers–Capitals game at 1 p.m. ET) and Sportsnet, NHL Network and TVA Sports (during pre-game shows before 7 p.m. ET games).

* The second 16-game day of the season (third in League history) begins with the first ABC telecast of the season (simulcast on ESPN+) and will see the 2023-24 regular-season schedule reach the halfway mark (with the NJD-FLA game) before a four-game Hockey Night in Canada slate. Click here for #NHLStats ahead of the halfway mark.

* Friday’s games saw the Flyers and Predators improve their playoff positioning with wins, setting the stage for a jam-packed Saturday that will include all 32 clubs – four of which are riding a winning streak of at least eight games.

ALL-STAR ANNOUNCEMENTS TO BE PART OF FIRST ABC BROADCAST OF SEASON

Results of the 2024 NHL All-Star Game Fan Vote presented by MassMutual have been tabulated and phase one of the grand unveil for the final 12 players heading to Toronto from Feb. 1-3 will be announced on ABC and ESPN+ during the first intermission of the Rangers–Capitals game.

* The NHL also will release the names of the first few participants for the revamped 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook, along with plans for another fan vote for that event. Only 12 All-Star skaters will compete in Skills under a new format that will award a $1 million prize to the “King of Skills” – with the format summarized in this video.

* On the ice, Metropolitan Division foes separated by 10 points in the standings will renew their rivalry as Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals are expected to host Mika Zibanejad and the first-place Rangers.

MORE ALL-STAR UNVEILS DURING PRE-GAME ON SPORTSNET, TVAS & NHL NETWORK

Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada telecast is stacked: the second-highest point-getter Nathan MacKinnon will face NHL leading goal-scorer Auston Matthews in Toronto, where they both will play as All-Stars in three weeks; Connor McDavid will celebrate his 27th birthday by trying to help the Oilers push their winning streak to 10 games in Montreal; the record-setting Jets will look to keep their winning and point streaks alive and maintain their post atop the NHL standings in Winnipeg; the Flames (6-4-0) and Golden Knights (3-7-0) take opposing “last 10 games” records into their meeting in Vegas. More notes ahead of the games can be found in Saturday’s #NHLStats: Live Updates.

* Adding to the Saturday excitement are a series of announcements during the pre-game show of the 7 p.m. ET games on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and NHL Network. The following announcements will be made starting at 6:50 p.m. ET:

* Remaining winners of the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by MassMutual, rounding out the full 44-player list for All-Star Weekend;

* The first 10 participants for the revamped2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook (rounding out the partial list announced on ABC earlier in the day);

* The opening of the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills Fan Vote presented by MassMutual, which will determine the final two skater participants for Skills;

* The jerseys to be worn during the Honda (U.S.) / Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game.

NHL PODCAST WEEKLY ROUNDUP

* NHL Fantasy on Ice (1/8): Fantasy waiver wire pickups: Week 14; Bedard injury replacements
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (1/8): NHL | Action Network Collaboration
* NHL @TheRink (1/10):Scott Arniel joins; Jets streaking, Flyers/Ducks trade, Nylander contract
* La Tasse de Café LNH (1/10): À quoi s’attendre de 2024?
* The Chirp (1/11): Justin Williams joins; Canuck’s ceiling, Calder contenders, trade winds
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (1/11): Drysdale-Gauthier trade & Week 14 fantasy mailbag

QUICK CLICKS

* Halfway Mark: 2023-24 NHL Season

* NHL EDGE stats: Jamie Drysdale’s outlook with Flyers

* Nick Foligno signs 2-year, $9 million contract with Blackhawks

*Tom Wilson of Capitals basks in glow of being All-Star, community leader, expectant dad

* Macklin Celebrini tops North American Skaters as NHL releases mid-season Draft rankings

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

The Flyers (22-14-6, 50 points) leapfrogged the Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division while the Predators (23-18-1, 47 points) overtook the Oilers for the first Wild Card position in the Western Conference with victories Friday.

ALL-STARS KONECNY, FORSBERG HELP FLYERS, PREDATORS SKATE TO VICTORIES
With the final 12 NHL All-Stars set to be announced Saturday, it was two players already selected for the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend that made their mark Friday as Travis Konecny (0-2—2) and Filip Forsberg (1-1—2) helped the Flyers and Predators skate to wins.

* After Konecny assisted on Philadelphia’s tying goal, Joel Farabee (2-0—2) scored his second tally of the game in overtime to help the Flyers secure their first multi-goal, third-period comeback win of the season. It marked the 300th comeback victory of John Tortorella’s career, making him just the ninth head coach in NHL history and fourth active bench boss to reach the milestone after Paul Maurice (337), Lindy Ruff (326) and Peter Laviolette (318).

* Konecny extended his road point streak to 10 games and became the sixth player to post a double-digit run as a visitor this season, joining Anze Kopitar (11 GP), Trevor Moore (11 GP), Quinn Hughes (11 GP), Connor Bedard (10 GP) and Jake Guentzel (10 GP).

* Forsberg improved his team-leading total to 22-25—47 (42 GP) and helped the Predators (23-18-1, 47 points) create a two-point gap for the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. He can become the first player not named Roman Josi to lead Nashville in scoring at the end of the season since Ryan Johansen in 2018-19. Should he do so, it would also mark the fourth time in his career he concluded a campaign as the Predators points leader (also 2017-18, 2015-16 & 2014-15), which would tie Josi (4x) and Cliff Ronning (4x) for the most among all players.

* Meanwhile, Josi (0-3—3), who was on the ballot for the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by MassMutual, factored on half of Nashville’s goals to climb some lists among active defensemen. Friday marked his 15th three-assist outing, which ranks sixth among active defensemen behind Victor Hedman (26), Erik Karlsson (25), Kris Letang (19), Quinn Hughes (18) and Cale Makar (16).