Over the past two decades, the NHL All-Star game has received criticism from fans who claim that the game itself has a tendency to feature players more interested in playing a slow and safe game instead of the high-paced, hard-hitting hockey game that one would expect out of the league’s best players.
In an attempt to quell these criticisms, league officials have revamped this year’s All-Star game format in hopes of igniting the competitive spirit of the game’s participants.
Since the NHL All-Star game was first implemented in 1947, it has undergone a myriad of changes.
What first began as a small charity event has now become an interactive showcase of the world’s greatest hockey players. Rather than continue with the Eastern vs. Western conference format, this year’s All-Star weekend, which will be held from Jan. 28 to Jan. 30 in Raleigh, NC., will have more of a school-yard feel.
Captains for each side will select from a pool of players who were chosen by a combination of fan balloting and the NHL Hockey Operations Department.
Each captain will be required to select three goalies, six defensemen and twelve forwards in any order they choose. After the selection of the rosters, the captains will select among 12 rookies to fill out the rosters for the NHL SuperSkills competition.
League officials are hoping that the new format will bring out plenty of small side stories that will drum up interest for the game among players and fans alike.
For example, with Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Staal being one of the captains, one has to wonder if he will choose his brother, New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, or if he would rather go head- to-head against him.
Similarly, the dynamic Sedin twins, who have played their entire NHL careers as teammates on the Vancouver Canucks, might end up playing against one another for the first time in their professional careers.
Another one of the stories that the league hoped would play out was the Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry which was highlighted earlier this year during the NHL’s Winter Classic.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you feel about him, Sidney Crosby, the league’s top vote-getter for the All-Star game, announced on Monday that he would not participate in the All-Star game due to a concussion suffered during the Winter Classic when he took an awkward hit to the head from Dave Steckel of the Washington Capitals.
Despite the league’s poster boy not being able to participate, the All-Star weekend should still be vastly more entertaining than that of previous years.
The new “Fantasy Draft” will take place on Friday, Jan. 28, and will kick off All-Star Weekend. I personally look forward to this event as it will be intriguing to see what tactics are used by both captains as they try to build the best team.
The following day the teams will participate in the SuperSkills competition in which players will show off their skills in various competitions including the fastest skater, breakaway challenge, shooting accuracy, hardest shot and the elimination shootout.
The SuperSkills competition has been a long-time fan favorite since fans get to see the players in a different light; as they joke with each other and the media and simply enjoy themselves throughout the night.
Finally, at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30, the NHL All-Star game will be played.
Although it may still only be for bragging rights, I expect the competitive nature of these great players to come out when they hit the ice for their respective teams in this school-yard style showdown.
Daniel Pineyro can be reached at dpineyro@spartans.ut.edu.