NHL YoungStars Game The NHL YoungStars Game started in 2002 , to replace the Heroes of Hockey Old - Timers game during the All - Star Weekend activities . The first four games were played as separate games to the actual All - Star Game , but starting in 2008 it was changed to become part of the NHL Super Skills Competition with the winning team gaining a point for their conference . Through the years the game had implemented different formats and rules , which still continues today . Many NHL Super Stars like Roberto Luongo , Ilya Kovalchuk , Dany Heatley , Pavel Datsyuk , Marian Gaborik and Rick Nash have played in the YoungStars Game . 52nd National Hockey League All - Star Game . The Format . The game ' s format : The players will be divided into two teams and led behind the bench by former Kings player and current broadcaster Jim Fox and former NHL player , Kings head coach and current ESPN analyst Barry Melrose . The Game . Atlanta Thrashers ' rookie phenom Ilya Kovalchuk scored a half - dozen goals to pace Team Melrose to a 13 – 7 victory over Team Fox in the four - on - four exhibition between the league ' s up - and - coming stars . Kovalchuk scored four times at even strength , once short - handed , once on a penalty shot . His sixth goal came against an empty net at the end of the game , Kovalchuk was named as the first - ever YoungStars M . V . P . Edmonton Oilers ' forward Mike Comrie scored three goals and added an assist to lead Team Fox in scoring . < / div > < br clear = " all " > 53rd National Hockey League All - Star Game . The Format . It was decided that the assistant coaches of the team with the best points percentages in their respective conferences through the games of Wednesday , January 8 , were selected as coaches for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference YoungStars , respectively . The YoungStars players were selected by the NHL ' s Hockey Operations Department , in consultation with League General Managers . The game ' s format : The Game . Washington Capitals ' Brian Sutherby won the Most Valuable Player for the Eastern Conference YoungStars by scoring two goals and an assist as the East cruised to an easy 8 – 3 victory . Hometown favourite Stephen Weiss also scored a goal and an assist for the East to thrill the Panthers fans in attendance . 54th National Hockey League All - Star Game . The Format . Instead of a regular 5 - on - 5 hockey game , the YoungStars game went back to the four - on - four format with each roster consisting of six forwards , four defencemen , and one goaltender . The game was played in three 10 - minute running - clock periods and a four - minute intermission between each period . In addition , the head coaches of the game was Lou Nanne and Tom Reid who were former players of the Minnesota North Stars . The Game . The YoungStars game , featuring rosters comprised entirely of rookies and some second - year players , saw the Western Conference YoungStars defeat the Eastern Conference 7 – 3 . Anaheim ' s Joffrey Lupul scored a hat trick , San Jose ' s Jonathan Cheechoo picked up four assists and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philippe Sauve was named the Game MVP , stopping 18 of 21 shots . 55th National Hockey League All - Star Game . The Format . The YoungStars game continued playing the same format from the last All - Star weekend . The only change was that the head coaches that were named as assistant coaches in the NHL All - Star Game were chosen as the head coaches of the YoungStars Game . The Game . The East ' s win was spurred by the six points from YoungStars MVP Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils who had two goals and four assists , while Boston ' s Phil Kessel recorded a hat - trick just one month removed from undergoing successful surgery for testicular cancer . 56th National Hockey League All - Star Game . The Format . The YoungStars game went from three periods to two periods for a total playing time of 20 minutes ( 10 minutes / period ) . In addition , the NHL made the YoungStars game to be part of the NHL SuperSkills Competition instead of making it a separate game and that no M . V . P . was going to be named . Furthermore , rookie goaltenders did not participate in the game , instead it was the actual veterans that were selected to play in the regular All - Star game . Coaches for the two teams are the same head coaches that were named in the All - Star game . The Game . Two first period goals and an assist by Brandon Dubinsky gave the East a 6 - 2 lead . Nicklas Backstrom added one more for the East in the second period , before the West YoungStars made it a close game by scoring four consecutive goals in less than three minutes . Dubinsky was named the MVP of the game . 57th National Hockey League All - Star Game . The Format . The YoungStars game went back to three periods for a total playing time of 18 minutes ( 6 minutes / period ) featuring a three - on - three ( four inclduing the goalkeeper ) rookie s versus sophomore s format , consisting of three six - minute periods with the clock stopping only within the last minute of each game . Coaching the rookies was Luc Robitaille and for the sophomores was Pete Mahovlich . Unlike last year , YoungStars goaltenders have been named , though sophomore goaltender Carey Price has volunteered to do double duty after Erik Ersberg withdrew from the game due to injury . The game saw rookie goaltender Pekka Rinne ( who replaced Steve Mason ) make 20 saves in a 9 - 5 victory for the rookies . Rookie Blake Wheeler was named the MVP of the YoungStars game after scoring four goals .