Well, the final tally for this year’s NHL All Star Game lineup is in. And…it’s absurd. The East Team consists of two players from the Pittsburgh Penguins (Sidney Crosby and Eugene Malkin) and the remaining four from the Montreal Canadiens (“HABS”). That makes a lot of sense.
As far as the West goes – it’s only Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks players. There are no Detroit Red Wings nor San Jose Sharks – first and second rated teams in the Conference. That makes a lot of sense.
Up until last year I was recommending to nonhockey fans that they need to watch the NHL All Star Game to get a feel for the sport of ice hockey. There were no body checks nor fighting in the Game, and that was the main point I was trying to make. The NHL All Star Game showed the skill and beauty of the sport. That recommendation has changed…
Last year’s game was a joke. It was nothing but embarrassing and infuriating to see the media turn a world class goalie (Manny Legace) into a clown by miking his helmet. How absolutely absurd can one get. The media has gotten totally out of control, in my opinion. The announcer was carrying on a conversation with Legace while the goalie was trying to play the game. And…a goal was scored. Go figure.
The NHL All Star Game has been turning into nothing but a media circus and this year is the final straw. It has turned into nothing but a popularity contest with the fans voting for their “favorite”. Montreal fans obviously pumped/spammed the voting results. I have nothing against the Montreal Canadiens nor their fans…they just need to get a grip on reality. Due to disrespectful behavior on their part, the best player in the sport – Alex Ovechkin – is not in the starting lineup. Spare me.
When I saw the players voted to this year’s starting team…I vowed not to watch the media spectacle.
I have known for a long time that there is a rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens. Now I know why. I thought the Montreal hockey fans liked the sport of hockey more than this.
Filed under: hockey | Tagged: Alex Ovechkin, Detroit Red Wings, Eugene Malkin, hockey fans, Joe Thornton, Montreal Canadiens, NHL, NHL All Star Game, San Jose Sharks, Sidney Crosby
