Adam Pelech Day: Why He’s in Vegas, Hardest Shot, All-Star Schedule

Today is the day that New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech competes in his first NHL All-Star event.

As he arrived in Las Vegas on Friday morning, Adam Pelech was greeted by Edmonton Oilers’ superstar Connor McDavid. Worse ways to start your day I would probably imagine.

1️⃣ Arrive in Vegas

2️⃣ Get greeted by @cmcdavid97

All-Star Weekend starts NOW. pic.twitter.com/vn9EQb2Y0O

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 4, 2022

Pelech has been chosen the compete in the NHL’s Hardest Shot contest against Victor Hedman, Timo Meier, and Tom Wilson on Friday night.

If only he had a teammate who recorded the hardest shot five years in a row from 2007-2012…his name rhythms with Zdeno Chara.

On Saturday, Pelech will suit up for the Metropolitan Division in the 3 on 3 All-Star tournament.

The NHL Skills Competition begins Friday at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN. You can catch the All-Star Game Saturday at 3 PM ET on ABC and ESPN+.

How Did Pelech Get Here?

Adam Pelech has two goals and 10 assists on the season and has averaged 21:22 minutes per game. But Pelech was not chosen for his goal-scoring. He was chosen due to his defensive ability.

Pelech not only leads the Islanders in minutes played but also leads them in takeaways (23), hits taken (59), and is third in blocks (56). Pelech is one of the best in the NHL at using his stick and is not afraid to take a hit to make a play.

Diving into the advanced statistics, Pelech has been on the ice for 62.1% of the Islanders goals this season, which ranks first amongst Islanders starters. Pelech trails his defensive partner Scott Mayfield by a mere second, for second on the team in penalty kill minutes per game (2:14).

And when the game needs overtime, Pelech ranks second on the Islanders with 11:23 total minutes (1:25 per OT).  He also ranks second on the Islanders in total shifts this season with 926.

2022 NHL Skills Competition