Rangers' Adam Fox would love to play All-Star Game at UBS Arena
Sidney Crosby of the Penguins celebrates with Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals and Adam Fox of the Rangers after scoring a goal on Linus Ullmark of the Bruins during the 2023 NHL All-Star Game between the Metropolitan Division and the Atlantic Division at FLA Live Arena on Saturday in Sunrise, Fla. Credit: Getty Images/Mike Ehrmann
SUNRISE, Fla. — Someday, Jericho’s Adam Fox would like to play in an All-Star Game at UBS Arena.
“Yeah, it’d be very cool,” the Rangers defenseman said after participating in his first All-Star Game on Saturday at FLA Live Arena. “I’d have a lot of friends and family if it was there. Long Island is a great hockey town. The fans there are passionate.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman repeatedly has said the Islanders’ new home is in line for league events — including the NHL Draft — once the development project for more hotels and retail in the area is completed.
Fox and the Metropolitan Division — which included Rangers teammates Artemi Panarin and Igor Shesterkin and the Islanders’ Brock Nelson and Ilya Sorokin — lost to the champion Atlantic Division, 10-6, in the opening round of the three-on-three tournament.
Fox skated with the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and watched as the future Hall of Famers seamlessly looked like longtime teammates, scoring a combined three goals. Fox had the primary assist on Ovechkin’s lone goal.
“I was trying to just get it off my stick as quick as possible,” Fox said. “A lot of people here to see those two. I was trying to just play a little defense and let them do their thing.”
Panarin had three assists in his first All-Star experience. Nelson went without a point in his All-Star debut. Shesterkin played the first 10 minutes and stopped five of nine shots. Sorokin played the final 10 minutes and stopped eight of 13 shots, denying the Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin on a breakaway.
Both goalies faced multiple odd-man rushes with little defense played.
“Fun for who?” Sorokin said with a laugh. “It’s a good experience. I should have practiced more breakaways.”
“It wasn’t fun for me today. Every second shot was a goal,” Shesterkin said.
The longtime friends also participated in Friday’s Tendy Tandem at the Skills Competition. Sorokin went 0-for-5 taking rink-length shots and Shesterkin stopped four of five breakaways. Shesterkin, who insisted on Thursday that he is a better shooter and that Sorokin is a bad one, said he lost a rock-scissors-paper contest to determine who would shoot.
The two vacationed together in Miami earlier this week.
“I’m tired of him because we stayed here five days,” Sorokin, also teammates with Shesterkin as a KHL All-Star, said with a laugh. “It’s a fun time for me and for Igor. Good memories.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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