This New NHL Skills Competition Is Really Going To Show Which Guys Didn't Pay Attention In Math Class
The NHL All-Star Game Weekend is coming up and with the festivities being in Vegas this year, the league decided to add a couple new events to the skills competition. One of the events is called "NHL 21 in '22". Here's the description of the event:
Shutting down part of Las Vegas Boulevard to hang a full deck of oversized cards on a rack puts a new twist on street hockey. 21 in ’22 is a game of chance, strategy and skill. The object of the game is to achieve a hand of 21 without going bust, in the least number of shots. The player who wins two rounds is crowned Puck Shark.
5 shots to try to hit Blackjack. In theory, this is actually a really good idea. It's better than the standard accuracy shooting competition since it allows for some more strategy. Do you try to snipe the big numbers early, but run the risk accidentally hitting the big numbers later to bust? Or do you just spray and pray? There are plenty of factors here to take into consideration instead of just firing off at 4 targets in the corners.
But the fact that there's so much going on here is also what makes me think this is going to be a brutal competition for anybody who didn't finish their grade 10. You hit a 4, a 7 and a 6 and all of a sudden your brain is scrambled. Quick arithmetic can be tough enough on its own, let alone when you have to worry about which card to snipe first. First and second grade were easy but social studies, division...this is gonna be tough.
So here's to hoping they have a scoreboard for the fellas set up to let them know what they're at and how far away they are from 21. Sure would be a shame to see someone lose the competition just because the NHL decided to throw a math quiz in their face.