The Columbus Blue Jackets and the city of Columbus will host the 2013 National Hockey League All-Star Celebration, the club and league announced Saturday.
The official announcement was made by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman during a press conference in Ottawa, Ont.
The game will take place on Jan. 27, 2013, with a skills competition scheduled the previous day.
"The Blue Jackets are honored to host the 2013 All-Star Celebration in Columbus as we believe our city offers a truly unique setting for this special event," Blue Jackets majority owner John P. McConnell said in a statement. "As much as it is a showcase for the NHL's best players, it is also a celebration of hockey fans and having it in Columbus is a testament to the fantastic support of our fans and the strength of Central Ohio as a hockey market."
Bettman said that the Blue Jackets did a great job of hosting the 2007 NHL draft.
"I have no doubt they will raise the bar even higher when they welcome our All-Star celebration at Nationwide Arena next January," Bettman said in a statement.
The 2013 NHL All-Star Game marks the first time the NHL All-Star activities will take place in Columbus, becoming the third consecutive first-time All-Star host city. Raleigh in 2011 and Ottawa in 2012 were also first-time hosts.
According to the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, the NHL All-Star Weekend is expected to generate an estimated $12 million in visitor spending and represent nearly 10,000 hotel room nights.
Officials project an estimated 140,000 hockey fans and 20,000 out-of-town visitors coming to central Ohio. In 2011, the visitor spending number for the All-Star Weekend hosted by the Carolina Hurricanes franchise in Raleigh, North Carolina had generated $11.5 million in visitor spending.
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