There are questions about cancelling the NY Islanders hosted 2026 NHL All-Star Game

About 13 months ago, the NY Islanders were awarded the rights to host the 2026 NHL All-Star Game at UBS Arena. As has been the standard for organizations that open new arenas, they are soon awarded the All-Star Game, which the Islanders are to host for the first time since 1983.

But after the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off and lack of excitement surrounding the All-Star Game in recent years, could the league decide to cancel the annual gathering?

"After the amazing success of 4 Nations, there have been talks behind the scenes of people saying 'Are we really going to have an All-Star Game next year?'" said Pierre LeBrun on TSN's Insider Trading. "Which is basically a dog's breakfast after we had this best-on-best event. And there are people asking questions like how smart it is to have this All-Star Game, which we know can't be saved in terms of the entertainment value."

Could the NHL cancel the 2026 All-Star Game?

While the game itself has been a dud recently, it does attract a crowd from all over North America who gather to watch all of the league's best players on one ice sheet.

Additionally, it is a great way for the Islanders to generate revenue by showcasing their new state of the art arena, not to mention shopping at Belmont Park Village, which is majority owner Scott Malkin's bread and butter.

"I think the New York Islanders who are hosting that All-Star Game, they've already started talking to their season ticket holders about it," LeBrun said. "It's probably too late to put the toothpaste back in the tube, but it is a question being asked behind the scenes."

With the NHL heading back to the Olympics in Milan next season, it's odd for the NHL to schedule an All-Star Game in an Olympic year, something they haven't done the last three times the league sent its players to the Olympics. But in this situation, Commissioner Gary Bettman saw it as an opportunity to send its players off to Milan.

As the league will be shut down during the Olympics, the schedule will already be condensed, making sense to remove any unnecessary events. But will the league be willing to sacrifice additional revenue?

It's highly unlikely that the league decides to cancel the All-Star Game, but for a game that is a glorified exhibition that typically comes with high ticket prices, how many Islanders fans will be interested in attending the event?