The 2009 Allstar Weekend Rant

Well the Allstar weekend is finally over and that usually means Christmas aka trade deadline day is to soon follow. 38 day's to be precise but whose counting right? I've always liked the Allstar game but every year its the same with all the criticism. It seams every single hockey reporting media outlet tries to dissect the game and continuously opens up the thought of getting rid of it or altering it. You hear them interview every player, every analyst, and every management level personal but yet you don't here any interviews or fan opinions. Judging for the media's comments they really aren't happy with the game but I as a hardcore hockey fan am perfectly fine with way the allstar game is being played. I mean sure it doesn't have the same intensity as a playoff game and sure some of the players efforts is clearly not 100%. Who cares really? This game is to give back to the fans and if the fans are happy which they clearly are in Montreal then leave it alone. Do they really expect players to risk injury and exhaustion just for one game that's means nothing season wise and is just supposed to be for fun? Of course there isn't going to be that intensity. I really don't see why they have to put these doubts in the fans minds. Its excited to watch the best or the best square off in not only a skills competition but an overall game were they can try anything they normally cant try in a real game.

Just look at the breakaway challenge it was a complete joke after last years competition which I thought was entertaining. Why did they feel the need to change it? The real goalies, the real judges and real attempts all worked. The whole 1 minute time limit was ridiculous because guys looked lazy and uncompetitive, barely willing to skate back to try another attempt. also why would they tell the mystery goalie a no name nobody to not try and stop the puck? That's just insulting to not only the players but to everyone watching. It wasn't a competition it was a set-up trying to trick fans into thinking that they saw the best to offer when really it was forced and unnatural. Just leave it the way it is, the game of hockey doesn't need to be changed in order to suit and attract poor hockey markets. What happens when these markets do get teams? Relocation is the natural order of things. Just let it be and the natural order of things will take its course and hockey will expand. If not then it isn't mean to be.

Another thing about the Allstar game that pissed me off was CBC's constant interruption of the game with stupid interviews? Why is it that necessary to cut the game off to watch Scott Oak molest Mike Modano while asking him stupid questions we heard during the skills competition? They bitch about trying to get the most entertainment, well that's not helping. I mean I like interviews but on the bench while a game is in action? Really? I mean really? Just do it before or after or even during breaks in play and when the play starts just cut to the action and just have audio. Its a simple concept.

Last of all, I really dislike the fans being able to vote the starters. I know it is for us but it dilutes the quality of the players that should be there. This year really wasn't too bad although I hardly see defensive Mike Komisarek who missed a good chunk of the season on the roster. We all remember the darkest NHL allstar game in history when Rory Fitzpatrick got voted in. That was ridiculous and embarrassing. It's a really hard thing to fix but my solution would be to let every player and personnel in each conference to have a closed ballet vote where they each selected 3 players in each conference then 3 teammates they'd like to see selected. In the end the highest 6 goalies, 12 defensemen and the top 22 forwards selected would be named allstars. Though it would still be biased because they players could just through their votes away to guys like say Andrew Peters but I think that's a really low chance because players really respect the allstar game and wouldn't want to make a mockery of it. It would also be a secret ballet like I said so guys could vote freely for who ether they choose. It's just an opinion however and on the flipside I really suppose its an honor also to be chosen by the people who support the game. Maybe it should be up the the NHL not to release the vote tallys till the finals and weed out the players who really don't deserve the chance to play. But then again that kind of is hypocritical for me to say that the NHL should change its format just to appease one person. After all it is the fans who they are trying to please and I guess if they want Rory Fitzpatrick then let them have Rory Fitzpatrick!

Let me know what you guys think! Please post some comments I really would like to hear your ideas and thoughts about the Allstar game.