This past week we were reminded about the exciting event that is the NHL All Star game when the ballot of potential player names was revealed. The game is usually boring as the best players in the world showcase their skills and repeatedly score a bunch of goals. Last year, a new system where two team captains picked rosters was added which made things more exciting, except when it came down to the remaining picks. It was slightly awkward when Phil Kessel was left as the last pick, and though he won a car for being last, many people have been looking for ways that would keep that from happening again. In this post I will explain why own theory of how the all star game should be presented and I will also complain about the list of 127 players on the ballot. There are more than a few people who missed out and some who should have not been added. First however is my version of the all star game weekend.
I greatly enjoyed the drafting process last year and would like it to stay as part of the weekend. Still, I think it was weird when Phil Kessel was sitting all alone before Team Lidstrom claimed him and I don't think that should happen again. Instead, I think it would be better if the last six players were picked out of a hat. The alternating between teams will be the same, but who each side gets will be random. This will create suspense in wondering whose neame will be next, as well as make it easier on the person who does end up going last, as they know it was random and not because nobody wanted to pick them. To further this, I think that if rookies like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are to be included, they should play in the actual game. They have proven they can play with the pros to get to the all star game, so why shouldn't they be full participants. I liked seeing Jeff Skinner play in the actual game last year and think it can happen again this year without a problem.
The skills competition and actual game can remain pretty much the same, though it would be more exciting if the players were excited too. I understand it is hard to motivate these millionaires, but maybe playing the game with different rules, like no offsides or icing, would let players set up fancy plays and goals. Imagine if you gave these stars more freedom on the ice; the goals they would score would be simply amazing. We all know what they look like when they play a game with regular rules, so why can't we try something new. All new and fresh rules should get the players excited for at least one year, hopefully more. Players are supposed to feel grateful for being selected to the game, not bored out of their minds. The league can change that and they should.
Now to the voting process. Fans can start voting Monday on NHL.com by either choosing from the list of 127 players or typing a name in. There were some players who were snubbed from the ballot even though they are having great seasons and there are also players on there who should not be based on their play thus far. Some players deserving to be on the list include forwards Johan Franzen, Logan Couture, Tyler Seguin and Kris Versteeg, defencemen Dan Girardi, Marc-Andre Bergeron and Mark Giordano, as well as goalies Jimmy Howard and Corry Crawford. All of these players may not be big name guys but they have been having great seasons so far and deserve to be recognized for that.
On the contrary, there were some players on that list they have been less than stellar so far. For example, both Martin Brodeur and Jaroslav Halak have been back up for most of this season to some surprising goaltenders. Though they may have been all stars a couple of years ago, they are not this year and should not be on the ballot. On defence, two more names stood out as odd ballot selections. Jay Bouwmeester was a star in Florida, but since joining Calgary, he hasn't produced, with only 1 goal and 4 assists so far this year. Marc Staal was in the game last year, but has been sidelined with a concussion this year and should not be expected to be playing in this game. Finally on forward, Michael Grabner and RJ Umberger should not have been on the list. They have proven in the past they can play well but both their teams, and both players, have struggled very much this season.
Regardless of who is on the ballot, fans should still vote for their favourites on NHL.com. It is all meant for fun anyways, but as a writer it is fun in its own right to try and devise my own list of all star players. Let me know in the comments below if you agree with my selections, both who should go and who should not.
I also have a special announcement. Those who follow me on twitter (@jbenny15) may already know this, but I recently launched my own website. http://www.jbenny.com/ will be the place to find all different pieces of my writing from this blog to my school newspaper and possibly some fiction as well. It is in the early stages of development but over time the site will grow into my primary place for sharing writing I do. If you have any comments or concerns about my site or what I write, you can now email me at josh@jbenny.com. Thank you for reading.
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