It seems to be the “in” thing these days to completely bash the All Star Game.

In fact for many years it’s become something for people to rail against, decrying it as anything but hockey, a detriment to the sport and a cheap, showy attempt at appealing to kids, sponsors and the most casual of fans. People that I like and respect and generally agree with go out of their way to prove that of course they don’t like the All Star Game. No self-respecting hockey fan does, of course. How could they? It’s not hockey.

And that’s fine. Not everyone has to like everything about the league or the sport. No one is forcing all hockey fans to love the All Star Game. But if you don’t like it? Don’t watch it. Don’t talk about it ad nauseum. Don’t even dignify it with any sort of response. Because if you really think it’s meaningless then it deserves just enough of your attention to simply acknowledge the break in the schedule before moving on.

I for one am never ashamed to admit that I love this time of year, for all it’s over the top showiness. It’s one weekend out of a very long, intense season, a time where we get to see the best of the best go up against one another and show that hockey can be just about skill and pretty passing plays and, god forbid, fun.

For all its faults, and I can admit that it is definitely not perfect, the All Star weekend gives fans a chance to see things they wouldn’t see in a game – and it gives the players a chance to relax, let loose and get to know the guys behind the logos and the reputations. Sure, a lot of players prefer the break to rest; but you don’t have to be a genius to see how much fun the players who show up actually have.

One of my favorite things about this weekend is not the skills competition or the high-scoring, defenseless, end to end game. It’s the players themselves. Watching them interact in the locker room, on the bench and on the ice is one of the more entertaining things for me, and it’s the reason I tune in year after year.

There’s nothing better than seeing Ovechkin’s toothless grin on the bench as he laughs alongside his friends, old and new. There’s nothing more entertaining than watching Jarome Iginla and Marc Savard share a pre-faceoff laugh about who knows what. There’s nothing funnier than seeing guys playfully mock each other for missing a shot, watching guys grin on their way to the penalty box, goalies congratulate shooters on a job well done and vice versa.

No, it’s never exactly pretty. If you go into the game thinking it’s going to be a tight checking affair or a game filled with excellent defense, you’re clearly either new to the sport or very, very confused. But who says it has to be? We have 82 games of that, plus playoffs – more if you follow more than one team or happen to enjoy watching any and every game available.

What’s wrong with a little frivolous fun before things really get serious?

It certainly wasn’t a flawless affair this weekend. The black cloud of bizarre attendance rules and rigged voting procedures and so many names left out will probably always make this game show up with a footnote in future references. That can’t be denied, and if the league intends to keep this game in its repertoire going forward some things probably have to change.

Yet for all it’s flaws, Montreal proved to be a hospitable, entertaining backdrop, a city that lives and breathes hockey finding itself at the center of the hockey world if only for a few days. The fans were into it as only Montreal fans could be; of course taunting the home team goalie was a pretty gutsy move, but given the fact that he was an evil Bruin that was not a completely unexpected one, either. The centennial provided a perfect setting for what would be a storybook ending, with the hometown hero and controversial starter winding up with much deserved MVP honors.

A game that on paper might have seemed boring actually ended up coming to an exciting conclusion, with an intense third period leading to an even more intense overtime (complete with a power play of all things). It then culminated in what would usually be the bane of my existence but what seemed, for tonight at least, to fit – a shootout.

And for Caps fans, there was the presence of that scruffy, beloved Russian of ours, reminding us that above all else this weekend was about having fun. He certainly seemed to be doing just that – and it was contagious.

It may not have been the prettiest in the end, but it was certainly the most entertaining as Ovechkin once again proved that he and he alone knows how to work a crowd.

…with a little help from his friends, of course.

What a ham! Congrats, Ovie!

Well, the All Star festivities are finally underway…at least someone’s pretty happy about it.

There’s been a lot of controversy and negativity surrounding this year’s games, some of which has been directed (whether fairly or unfairly) toward Uncle Gary.

At the end of the day, however, none of that really matters. Because it’s about the fans and about having a good time, making the best of what is really an exhibition and nothing more, regardless of who is and isn’t there. You only have to see the smile on our very own Ovechkin’s face – on all the All Stars’ faces – to see that it’s really just about having fun.

Which is why I’ve always loved this weekend, despite the constant snubs of worthy players and the fact that the game itself bears little resemblance to hockey as we know it today. There’s tremendous skill on display all over the place, and while we can debate who is worthy of being in the event based on their performance this year until the sun comes up, one thing isn’t in question – all these guys are stars.

Just maybe one shining brighter than the rest…

Good luck, Ovie!

If you happened to catch Tuesday’s NHL Live, you might have heard host Don LaGreca go off on a rant about the All Star Game and how it was embarrassing for Ovechkin, the “best player in the league”, to not be a starter.

I don’t often say this, but he’s absolutely right.

It is incredibly embarrassing, not just for Caps fans (who maybe decided not to go the illegal ballot box-stuffing route, and kudos for that) but for all hockey fans and the league itself. LaGreca’s point, which he reiterated time and time again throughout the rant, was legitimate – how do you in good conscience go to cast a vote for the best and brightest and leave off…well, the best and the brightest?

No one’s picking on the selections of Malkin and Crosby; I may hate them both but I’m not about to sit here and claim they don’t deserve the honor as well. I do that and wave goodbye to whatever little credibility I have left as a hockey fan. But if you vote for the highest scorer in the league…and the third-highest…where’s the middle guy? That would be #8, Mr. Simply Sensational himself, the Russian Machine, the Human Highlight Package, and that guy that everyone’s been talking about but no one voted for. It’s amazing.

With the release of the reserve rosters today, the general consensus across Hockeyland seems to be that things need to change. We should never be in a position where we have to deny the true talent in the league because of a technicality or a few internet-savvy HabNerds. And the good news is that with the Olympics eliminating next year’s All-Star Game, the league has 2 whole years to figure out a solution.

And as always…I have a few suggestions.
(more…)

I’ll have more on the All Star voting and selection process later (including a few suggestions to add to the growing pile on how to fix it) but for now…

Lecavalier over Backstrom? Eric Staal or Dany Heatley over Phil Kessel? Mike Richards not even mentioned? Tomas Kaberle getting the nod over Mike Green?? You have to go to the second page of stats just to find some of these guys, and yet they’re considered All Stars. And that doesn’t even speak to the level of play they’ve achieved this season – in almost all of these cases the quality and consistency takes a considerable hit to insure equality.

As if the league has ever been interested in appearing balanced before.

You know, there’s being equitable to all teams and then there is denying guys their rightful spots just to make sure the “best” player on a crappy team gets in. This is the latter, and yes, it is just plain wrong.

If a guy isn’t performing like an All Star – and I’m sorry, Lecavalier, Heatley and Kaberle have all been in the doghouse for extended periods of time this year – don’t send him. Why does every team have to have a rep if every team isn’t worthy of having a rep?

Backstrom is 11th in the league in scoring and 5th in the league in assists…and oh, by the way, the four guys in front of him are all going to Montreal. Kessel is 5th in the league in goals scored…and oh, by the way, the four guys in front of him are all going to Montreal. Green has the second most goals by a defenseman and trails only Markov and Streit (both All Star selections) in points in the East, and somehow he’s watching the game from home this year. Again.

Ovechkin was a given. Boudreau’s place behind the bench seems pretty secure. But there’s no way in the world they should be going alone, and it’s just wrong.

That’s right, kids – time to join forces with Penguins and Flames fans and help Ovechkin get into the All-Star Game! We’re talking a mass movement, a mobilization of forces that spans across fanbases and brings together those which should really never be brought together – except for in moments of extreme necessity and for only the purposes of good and pure.

Sure, something like that. Ahem.

So consider yourselves drafted into Ovie’s Army; report for duty tonight at 9:00 and vote for Ovechkin at least 10 times, either by texting Ovie or Ovechkin (or Capitals) to 81812 or by visiting the voting site at NHL.com.

Vote or be forced to see two Penguin starters running amuck, unchecked and unleashed on an unwitting public. Do it for the greater good, people!