The NHL shouldn’t play the All Star Game, ever.
With the NHL season in a very precarious position due to slow and thus far unsuccessful negotiations between players and owners that have resulted in a lockout, one casualty of even a fairly brief lockout could be the annual All Game. Star… The game is scheduled for Columbus this year.
While I am sorry for the people of Columbus and the potential loss of income, which I realize can be substantial; I can’t say I’ll shed too many tears if the event doesn’t take place, and it’s because I’m a hockey fan that I feel that way.
The NHL shouldn’t be playing the all-star game, ever; however, it should hold an All Star weekend showcasing the most talented players.
Of course, name the best players in the league, preferably selected by a panel of hockey experts and not nerdy fans, give them a bonus and have them spend a weekend in the selected city. Organize all the usual fun events that lightly showcase players’ skills and talents; races, shooting power and accuracy contests, goal challenges, etc. But just don’t bother playing the game itself.
Some sports lend themselves well to exhibition games (which is the All Star game, after all) and others not so much. Baseball, for example, despite the 1970 Pete Rose/Bob Fosse incident, is ideal for an All Star game since the level of body contact is lower than in other sports (assuming we can rule out forward-grazing pitches). back and break double plays). . So Major League Baseball should continue with the Summer Classic.
The NHL All Star game, with double-digit scores and essentially no body contact as players try to avoid injury, does not represent the game as it is played during the regular season and play-offs.
The NFL, NBA, and NHL should consider having All Star events that illustrate the high level of skill these athletes possess, but not play the game itself.
However, if the NHL feels they must play an All Star game, then for God’s sake, don’t use it as a marketing tool. Showcasing hockey by broadcasting the All Star game on US television in an effort to win new fans and thereby increase television revenue is like showing a flag football game played by players from the NFL and say it represents the actual “product.”