January 26 2008

We all know the word "obsolete". It means "out-of-date"; "out-of-fashion"; or even "passe".
Which ever definition you choose they describe perfectly the NHL All-Star game.
Like the baseball and especially the NBA and NFL all-star games, thde NHL verision has all the credibility of a carnival sideshow. The three-ring circus that has become the NHL version will be played tomorrow night (January 27) in Atlanta.
During the days of the Original-Six the defending Stanley Cup champions played the stars of the other five teams. The game was played at the end of training camp and was a true test of skill and pride. Now the game is an added burden to an already bloated NHL schedule.
The list of pleyrs who duck the game using one excuse or the other gets longer and longer with each passing year.
Being named to an all-star team has become a "sentence". Something like house arrest to be served in addition fo the 82 game schedule.
You don't have to be a star to play in the game, only popular or part of a quota. Look at the list of NHL stars who didn't fit either category who will not take part in tomorrow night's game. And to a man I'm sure they would say they're happy they're not.