42nd National Hockey League All - Star Game The 42nd National Hockey League All - Star Game took place in Chicago Stadium , home of the Chicago Blackhawks , on January 19 , 1991 . Commissioner ' s Choice . The 1991 game saw much controversy in team selection , as Wales head coach Mike Milbury included enforcer Chris Nilan and checker Brian Skrudland ahead of scorer Kirk Muller and retiring legend Guy Lafleur . Nilan and Skrudland , however , would both be sidelined , however , due to injury . As a result of criticism of Milbury ' s picks , the league ' s board of governors quickly stated that future teams would be chosen by committee . One immediate effect of this was the ability for the league president ( after 1993 , the commissioner ) to appoint two " senior " players to honor their years in the game ( one for each team ) - Guy Lafleur and Bobby Smith were the first two stars appointed in this manner . Previously , while the NHL president often selected soon - to - be retiring stars to the game ( for instance , the 1980 game featured Gordie Howe , Phil Esposito , and Jean Ratelle at the request of coach Scotty Bowman ) , this became a tradition starting in 1991 . The other change , which would not happen until a year later , was because only two goaltenders were selected for the all - star game : as Edmonton Oilers coach John Muckler also coached the Campbell squad , many were considerably irked when Oilers goalie Bill Ranford was chosen over Chicago ' s own Ed Belfour , who was at the time the best goaltender that season , leading to the Chicago fans booing Ranford when he replaced starter Mike Vernon in the second period . To avoid this , Muckler suggested that three goaltenders should be selected in the future , with each goaltender playing a period - and the league made it so . The War on Fighting . The 42nd classic was broadcast not only in the U . S . and Canada , but for soldiers abroad fighting in Operation Desert Storm , and players wore decals on their helmets as a symbolic gesture of support . However , some , like Wayne Gretzky ( whose grandfather was a veteran of World War I and whose cousin was abroad at the time ) , called for the game to be canceled . Gretzky , however , was more adamant on the state of fighting in the NHL , saying that he was continually tired of sportscasters stating that " it looks like a hockey game out there " when a bench - clearing brawl takes place in other sports . Heroes ' Fall . Unlike the previous year , the Heroes of Hockey game was contested between Blackhawks alumni and the " best of the rest " , akin to the all - star games of old . However , it was without its boycotters . Joining Gordie Howe were some of the greatest players of all , including Bobby Orr , Ted Lindsay , and Frank Mahovlich ( Bobby Hull was also notably opposed , but played anyway due to the game being in Chicago ) . At the center of this argument , however , were pensions : the National Hockey League Alumni Association believed that there was a $ 12 million pension surplus in which they were entitled to , and one of the more convincing arguments to support their case was that 26 - year veteran Howe was being paid only $ 1200 per month from this pension fund - noticeably below what he would have gotten if he had pursued a career elsewhere , as he noted . Super Skills Competition . The Wales Conference won its first Super Skills competition in All - Star Game history , although the majority of the individual events was won by Campbell Conference participants . Even though Al MacInnis won the Hardest Shot event he was 3 mph off of breaking Al Iafrate ' s mark that was set in the 1990 Super Skills . However , Mark Messier and Patrick Roy would establish new individual events records . The Game . Toronto Maple Leafs ' left winger Vincent Damphousse scored four goals as the Campbell Conference defeated the Wales Conference 11 – 5 in front of a sell - out crowd at Chicago Stadium and a world wide television audience that was the largest in All - Star Game history . Damphousse tallied three of his four goals in the third period to be named All - Star M . V . P . and would become just the third player in All - Star Game history to record 4 goals in a game , which is shared by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux . Damphousse ' s performance also overshadowed a five - point performance by St . Louis Blues center Adam Oates who recorded one goal and four assists in the game . Notes . + Brett Hull was voted as a starter , but was unable to play due to injury . Adam Oates was his replacement .