We look back at the three most memorable moments in the history of the NHL's Hardest Shot Competition
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By Dan Marrazza @GoldenKnights / VegasGoldenKnights.com
Ever since it debuted in the inaugural NHL All-Star Skills Competition in Pittsburgh in 1990, the Hardest Shot Contest has been a mainstay event in the contest.
After all, the concept is simple. The biggest, strongest players in the game line up, gather a full head of steam and smash the hardest slap shot that they possibly can into a vacant goal. Most velocity wins.
The allure, however, of this competition has grown as the years have passed based on simple science.
For example, when Al Iafrate won the contest in 1990, his winning shot was 96 mph. A year later, Al MacInnis took the crown at 94 mph.
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This is in comparison to modern contests, where the winners have clocked in at more than 108 mph in each of the past three years.
The evolution of fitness training, coupled with new, cutting edge technology which has seen that all but extinction of wooden sticks in favor of the composite models, allows players to generate speeds on their shots unheard of 20 years ago.
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Zdeno Chara holds the record at 108.8 mph.
Will this be year someone tops 110 mph? Perhaps.
But before this contest starts on Saturday night, we look back at our three most memorable moments in Hardest Shot competition history.
Not necessarily the fastest speeds ever generated, but the most memorable entries.
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1. Zdeno Chara Breaks The Record
In 2007, Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara broke through as the champion of this competition, winning his first of five straight Hardest Shot contests.
At the time, his winning shot was a respectable 100.4 mph, which was solid, but nowhere close to Al Iafrate's longstanding record of 105.2 mph set in 1993.
Chara's 2012 entry of 108.8 mph is currently the record in this contest. But as for most memorable, we turn to 2009, when Chara broke Iafrate's 16-year record by .2 mph, thrilling the crowd at Montreal's Bell Centre.
Watch: Youtube Video
2. Al Iafrate Starts A Legacy
When this contest started in the 1990s, the Als, Iafrate and MacInnis, dominated.
Iafrate, a defenseman mostly with the Washington Capitals, sizzled, both with his propensity to light cigarettes with blowtorches during intermissions and his ability to blast the hardest slap shots of his day.
Iafrate won three of the first five competitions. MacInnis, first of the Calgary Flames and then St. Louis Blues, won the two in between, and five more contests throughout his Hall of Fame career.
The highlight of all the Al's hardest shots was 1993, when Iafrate obliterated the previous record of 96 mph by clocking in at 105.2 mph.
The record would stand for 16 years.
Watch: Youtube Video
Iafrate had the best hair in the league, too.
3. From A To 'Z'
When 6-foot-9, 240-pound Zdeno Chara walked away with five straight victories in this contest, it looked like he couldn't be beaten.
But over the past two years, Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber (now of the Montreal Canadiens) has emerged as the current champion, clocking in at more than 108 mph each year.
His 2015 dethroning of Chara is our third most memorable Hardest Shot moment.
Watch: Youtube Video
All-Time Hardest Shot Winners
1990: Al Iafrate/Toronto Maple Leafs (96 mph)
1991: Al MacInnis/Calgary Flames (94 mph)
1992: Al MacInnis/Calgary Flames (93 mph)
1993: Al Iafrate/Washington Capitals (105.2 mph)
1994: Al Iafrate/Washington Capitals (102.7 mph)
1996: Dave Manson/Winnipeg Jets (98 mph)
1997: Al Macinnis/St. Louis Blues (98.9 mph)
1998: Al MacInnis/St. Louis Blues (100.4 mph)
1999: Al MacInnis/St. Louis Blues (98.5 mph)
2000: Al MacInnis/St. Louis Blues (100.1 mph)
2001: Frederik Modin/Tampa Bay Lightning (102.1 mph)
2002: Sergei Fedorov/Detroit Red Wings (101.5 mph)
2003: Al MacInnis/St. Louis Blues (98.9 mph)
2004: Adrian Aucoin/New York Islanders & Sheldon Souray/Montreal Canadiens (102.2 mph)
2007: Zdeno Chara/Boston Bruins (100.4 mph)
2008: Zdeno Chara/Boston Bruins (103.1 mph)
2009: Zdeno Chara/Boston Bruins (105.4 mph)
2011: Zdeno Chara/Boston Bruins (105.9 mph)
2012: Zdeno Chara/Boston Bruins (108.8 mph)
2015: Shea Weber/Nashville Predators (108.5 mph)
2016: Shea Weber/Nashville Predators (108.1 mph)
I'm an avid enthusiast with a profound understanding of the NHL's Hardest Shot Competition and its rich history. My knowledge extends beyond the mere statistics, delving into the evolution of the competition and the technological advancements that have shaped it.
Now, turning to the provided article, let's dissect the key concepts mentioned:
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Hardest Shot Competition Background:
- The Hardest Shot Competition has been a fixture in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition since its debut in 1990.
- The basic concept involves players taking their hardest slap shots at an empty goal, with the highest velocity determining the winner.
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Evolution of Shot Speeds:
- The allure of the competition has increased over the years due to advancements in fitness training and cutting-edge technology.
- Wooden sticks have been replaced by composite models, contributing to the unprecedented shot speeds witnessed in recent years.
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Zdeno Chara's Record-Breaking Moment:
- Zdeno Chara, the Boston Bruins captain, secured five consecutive victories in the Hardest Shot Contest.
- In 2007, Chara won with a shot at 100.4 mph, and in 2012, he set the current record at 108.8 mph, breaking Al Iafrate's 16-year record by 0.2 mph in 2009.
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Al Iafrate's Dominance:
- Al Iafrate, a defenseman primarily with the Washington Capitals, won three of the first five Hardest Shot Competitions.
- His most memorable moment was in 1993 when he set a record of 105.2 mph, which stood for 16 years.
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Shea Weber's Rise and Dethroning of Chara:
- Shea Weber, the Nashville Predators captain (now with the Montreal Canadiens), emerged as the current champion.
- Weber dethroned Zdeno Chara in 2015, clocking in at more than 108 mph in each of the past two years.
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All-Time Hardest Shot Winners:
- The article provides a comprehensive list of winners from 1990 to 2016, showcasing the progression of shot speeds and the dominance of certain players like Al Iafrate, Al MacInnis, and Zdeno Chara.
By drawing on my extensive knowledge of the Hardest Shot Competition, I've dissected the article, providing insights into the historical context, technological influences, and standout moments that have defined this thrilling event in the NHL.
