As expected, the hardest shot skills challenge had the crowd buzzing in Ottawa on Saturday night. Daniel Alfredsson led off for his team, and the hometown favorite rifled a 101.1 mph rocket into the back of the net. He really stepped into it, looking to put on a show for the Ottawa fans. Countering for Team Chara, defenseman Dennis Wideman added a 94 plus mph shot. Alfredsson then took his second attempt and just barely eclipsed his first shot at 101.3. Wideman could not match either shot for Team Chara, and the Ottawa Senators' captain took the point for his team.
NHL Skills Competition 2012: Zdeno Chara Sets A New Record In Hardest Shot Competition
Dion Phaneuf and Jason Spezza squared off in the second round, looking to match his teammate's power. Spezza buried two shots over 100 mph, and Phaneuf could not manage to break it making the hometown Senators two-for-two.
The final round matched the two of the most powerful stars in the game, Zdeno Chara and Shea Weber. The Nashville Predators' defensemen immediately made it clear that the challenge had taken a step up, hitting 104.9 mph on his first shot. Chara immediately beat it with a 106.2 mph blast that was the fastest shot ever in the competition, beating the record he set last year. After Weber slipped and missed his second, Chara then added a little extra to finish it off with a 108.8 shot that had the crowd buzzing. It was the highlight of the night, as the giant Bruins defenseman set a record unlikely to be broken. Chara then won the final round, adding his fifth straight hardest shot victory in a row.
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