All-Star Weekend

[Zee]

I was thinking last night that there just isn't any way to get these guys to play "for real" in an All-Star game... Nor do I like the notion of having it count for anything as it does in baseball. I've completely accepted this is just of an exhibition and marketing thing for the NHL. So, why fight it? In fact what about doing a total 180 and go the other way - making it MORE of a display? My reasoning for this is it's just too boring as it stands now... 

The draft - Maybe team captains shouldn't do the drafting. What about a celebrity or a contest winner? Kids are always good...Perhaps involve HoFers or something. I also think the bottom 4 guys should just be drawn from a hat. - No more Kessel/Couture situations.

The game - More props? Maybe some creative rule changes? I don't know... I'm open to suggestions to spice this up...

Thoughts?

How about this to turn this into a real hockey game?
Go back to East vs. West format. The winning conference in the All-Star game gets home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup finals regardless of the standing of the teams involved.

Alfredsson picked a crappy team what can you do?

 

[maplesyrup]

What about following the NBA and having a rookie vs. sophomore game? Or, what about rookies AND sophomores vs. the All-Stars?

 

[LittleHockeyFan]

Alfredsson picked a crappy team what can you do?

that's what he gets for picking all his teammates......

 

[CarltonTheBear]

What about following the NBA and having a rookie vs. sophomore game? Or, what about rookies AND sophomores vs. the All-Stars?

The problem is there really aren't enough rookies to fill up two competitive teams to play against each other. So when they had the Young Stars game it was 3 vs. 3 and pretty much awful.

As for rookies and sophomores vs. the All Stars, again the young guys would get destroyed because of lack of quantity.

 

[maplesyrup]

What about following the NBA and having a rookie vs. sophomore game? Or, what about rookies AND sophomores vs. the All-Stars?

The problem is there really aren't enough rookies to fill up two competitive teams to play against each other. So when they had the Young Stars game it was 3 vs. 3 and pretty much awful.

As for rookies and sophomores vs. the All Stars, again the young guys would get destroyed.

Maybe. Maybe not... It's not "real" hockey anyway... I think the leagues best rookies and sophomores vs. the All-Stars might be kind of fun... In addition, I think both sides would be motivated more to win. - Not kill each other, but try... you know?

 

[Bullfrog]

What about following the NBA and having a rookie vs. sophomore game? Or, what about rookies AND sophomores vs. the All-Stars?

Too many legit all-stars would be left off the team though. While they're good, I'm not paying to watch Matt Reid over Joffrey Lupul or Patrick Kane.

 

[maplesyrup]

What about following the NBA and having a rookie vs. sophomore game? Or, what about rookies AND sophomores vs. the All-Stars?

Too many legit all-stars would be left off the team though. While they're good, I'm not paying to watch Matt Reid over Joffrey Lupul or Patrick Kane.

Fair point... Maybe the All-Stars could run a deeper bench? I don't know... I like this model over the current snooze fest.

 

[maplesyrup]

... On the other hand, back in the day the All-Star game was the All-Stars vs. the cup champs so it's not like having one All-Star team as opposed to two would be anything new... and it would certainly be loaded. 

 

[Bullfrog]

What about following the NBA and having a rookie vs. sophomore game? Or, what about rookies AND sophomores vs. the All-Stars?

Too many legit all-stars would be left off the team though. While they're good, I'm not paying to watch Matt Reid over Joffrey Lupul or Patrick Kane.

Fair point... Maybe the All-Stars could run a deeper bench? I don't know... I like this model over the current snooze fest.

I suppose I don't really see the improvement though. I would think it would be even more of a snooze fest. The rookies aren't going to risk hurting the veterans.

 

[maplesyrup]

What about following the NBA and having a rookie vs. sophomore game? Or, what about rookies AND sophomores vs. the All-Stars?

Too many legit all-stars would be left off the team though. While they're good, I'm not paying to watch Matt Reid over Joffrey Lupul or Patrick Kane.

Fair point... Maybe the All-Stars could run a deeper bench? I don't know... I like this model over the current snooze fest.

I suppose I don't really see the improvement though. I would think it would be even more of a snooze fest. The rookies aren't going to risk hurting the veterans.

I just think the young punks might like to show-up the vets and visa versa... Just added motivation.

 

[dappleganger]

Simple solution to the boring all-star game.

Make it KHL All-Stars VS. NHL All-Stars.

 

[Kin]

Minor tweaks and changes aren't going to lead to a dramatic change in how an all star game is played. They've tried that. National pride, conferences, picked teams, whatever. It all has the same fundamental problem of their being no stakes and the actual goal of these players, the Cup, being entirely unaffected by the result of this game.

It's an exhibition game. Meant as a sales opportunity for the league. It's not, because of the winter classic, even the league's most prominent showcase anymore. That's just the way it is.

 

[bustaheims]

I suppose I don't really see the improvement though. I would think it would be even more of a snooze fest. The rookies aren't going to risk hurting the veterans.

Never mind risking hurting the vets, they're not going to risk getting themselves hurt. I mean, that's why the All Star game is what it is - no player wants to risk an injury in a meaningless exhibition game. Even it the NHL put home ice in the Finals on the line, that wouldn't really change. The game is what it is, and there really isn't much the league can do to make it anything else.

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

How about KHL "stars" versus NHL stars.

 

[Kin]

How about KHL "stars" versus NHL stars.

You mean aside from being impossible to organize, a logistical nightmare and providing no actual incentive to anyone to give a damn?

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

How about KHL "stars" versus NHL stars.

You mean aside from being impossible to organize, a logistical nightmare and providing no actual incentive to anyone to give a damn?

K, then how about they replace the All-Star game with annual dwarf tossing?

 

[Kin]

K, then how about they replace the All-Star game with annual dwarf tossing?

All of this presupposes that the NHL itself has a problem with the All-Star game. I'm sure the NHL is thrilled. The NHL doesn't need the all-star game to be a great game for it to serve their purposes. It's a corporate schmoozefest/opportunity for the league to sell itself. The events were well attended and I'm sure Ottawa was happy for the exposure. Casual fans don't need a tight checking game and die-hards aren't really the people the league is trying to sell it to.

Personally, I was away for the weekend and didn't watch the game so, as far as I'm concerned, it was the best All-Star game in years.

 

[Stebro]

I miss East vs West

 

[Bullfrog]

In the end, I still enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed years ago when they had a 3-on-3 pond hockey. I remember the team of Alyn McCauley, Mike Johnson, Todd Warriner, and CuJo was very good!

 

[Madferret]

In the end, I still enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed years ago when they had a 3-on-3 pond hockey. I remember the team of Alyn McCauley, Mike Johnson, Todd Warriner, and CuJo was very good!

Yeah I think the 10 pages this thread has accumulated might indicate more people watch / care about the ASG then they want you to believe.