Ryan Johansen wins Breakaway Challenge after fan vote (Video)

Look at every single player's reaction. http://ift.tt/1CPVSEd

— CJ Burns (@CjBurns215) January 25, 2015

The Breakaway Challenge is all about creativity.

Well, creativity, to a point.

The most interesting part of my day by far was @johngaudreau03 asking me if he could light his stick on fire. #PlayerSafety

— Patrick Burke (@BurkieYCP) January 25, 2015

Unfortunately I had to be Director of Funland Security on that one after every attorney in our offices had simultaneous heart attacks.

— Patrick Burke (@BurkieYCP) January 25, 2015

"Me and Mark Giordano were talking about it on the bus a little bit earlier," said Gaudreau, "and thought it would be a good idea since we play for Flames. I don't think they were going to let me do it."

So fans are denied the spectacle of one of the rising stars in the league employing fire during his All-Star skills debut. What else did the players involved have in store?

Taking to the ice for Team Foligno, we had Alex Ovechkin, Claude Giroux, and Ryan Johansen.

Ovechkin and Giroux were showcasing their puck handling skills in moves reminiscent of lacrosse, and in Ovi's case, baseball. But the Capitals captain soon realized his future was not in America's pastime.

"Probably Nationals didn't sign me," he said. "100-percent. I can be water boy? Bat boy, yeah."

The event really belonged to Johansen, who put his creativity on display.

Up first, a nod to the National Champs from THE Ohio State University (and pandering to the home crowd).

Johansen said he went looking for a Buckeyes football helmet on Saturday, but couldn't find one that fit his head.

Next, Johansen went for the heartstrings by grabbing the 7-year old son of the Blue Jackets head athletic trainer Mike Vogt and giving him the coolest moment of his young life thus far:

Finally, Johansen and Team Foligno teammates close it out with one of the most iconic moves in hockey movie history - The Flying V.

It wasn't nearly as successful for the NHLers than it was for the Mighty Ducks of yore. Side note: Ryan Getzlaf was present for the Flying V, but did not participate. As Michelle Drinnenberg noted:

2 Kings, no Ducks. The irony RT “@NHLonNBCSports: Quack! Quack! Quack! The Flying V! #NHLAllStar http://ift.tt/1zHVSsv”

— Michelle Drinnenberg (@m_drinnenberg) January 25, 2015

For Team Toews was Vladimir Tarasenko, Jakub Voracek, and Johnny Gaudreau.

Tarasenko was pitted against goaltender Brian Elliott, his teammate from the St. Louis Blues. Although they are on different teams for the All-Star festivities, they didn't let that get between them. In his first attempt, Tarasenko and Elliott teamed up to create the first ever hockey action-shot selfie. Elliott continued to oblige his teammate by donning a blindfold for the second shot, and holding a target in his glove-hand on the third.

Jakub Voracek and Johnny Gaudreau were unremarkable until they teamed up for one of the best moments of the night. Drawing from the inspiration of Johansen's shot with the little tyke above, Voracek grabs a youngster of his own and creates magic, even without fire:

FINAL RESULT:

Voting was opened up to the fans on Twitter, and surprise, surprise, local boy Ryan Johansen walked away with the crown. And probably an open invite from Urban Meyer to drop by the school any time.

Very, VERY cool of @BlueJacketsNHL star @RyanJohansen19 to wear OSU jersey during #NHLAllStarSkills tonight. Thx for the S/O! #GoBucks #CBJ

— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) January 25, 2015

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Jen Neale is a staff writer for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @MsJenNeale_PD.

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