NHL All-Stars: Whose Game Is It?

Source: ESPN

Is the All-Star Game for the players or the fans? That’s the first question that needs to be answered. The second question to be answered is whether or not the All-Stars are passé.

Thursday afternoon during the Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild, three SportsNet analysts were discussing the lack of respect for Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner. Marner was not selected to participate in the 2018-19 NHL All-Star festivities despite being the Leafs’ best player this year. There are several other players who should have also been selected like the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky and Detroit Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin.

So, again, I ask who is the All-Stars for . . . the players or the fans? I expect it should be for both the players and the fans. So, why not design the All-Stars so that it honors the players and pleases the most fans as well.
And regarding the second question whether All-Stars games are becoming passé:


Source: NOBODY CARES

Maybe the answer is we need to have the All-Star weekend after the Stanley Cup champions have won. It could be tied into the NHL Awards allowing for a more competitive game, or even series. If the latter is chosen, then there could be four teams like now and a miniature playoff. Atlantic could play Pacific, Metro could play Central, and it could be the best 2 out of three. Then, those winners could play each other: Atlantic/Pacific versus Metro/Central.

Realizing an objection could be the risk of injury and the lack of proper rest, an answer to such an objection is the time lapse between the All-Star festivities and the upcoming season. If the festivities is tied to the NHL Awards, approximately 2-3 weeks after the Stanley Cup playoffs end, then there is plenty of time for any possible injuries to heal. Further, it allows a little extra training to keep rust off a few guys.

It would allow for a more competitive format that both the fans and players to enjoy. Avoiding the crowded Fall and Winter seasons of the NFL and NBA by tying the All Stars to the Awards, the NHL would allow itself more opportunities to market itself and its products to a larger and more diverse audience.

It’s a possible win-win situation in an all-or-nothing industry. This is especially true if the fans have more of a voice in player selection, fantasy teams or even sports betting to go with the All Stars. Then, there would be more of “John Scott” moments like in 2016 then scratching there heads with All Star snubs. Like NOBODY CARES said, “do not be afraid of change.”