Move the All-Star Weekend

It’s time to end the pain.

The players hate it, GM’s cringe at the thought of it, and the fans remain indifferent. It’s time for the NHL to step up and do what’s right and that is to blow up the all star game as we know it and start from scratch. Keep the weekend to give everybody a rest, but stop penalizing the best players in the game by making them give up their break to go on yet another road trip, to a meaningless game.

The novelty of the mid-season all star game wore off years ago after players started making huge salaries and hockey became a business. The playoffs have become so financially important, that owners will do whatever they can to preserve their assets and to prepare their organizations to make a run at the post season.

Every year it is a battle between the clubs and the league over which players have been conscripted to attend. It’s like getting invited to a party that nobody wants to go to; everyone is scrambling for an excuse about why they can’t make it. This has finally come to a head as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has suspended Pavel Datsuyk and Nicklas Lidstrom for one game each for skipping the all star activities.

From the fans perspective, who really wants to see all their favorite players playing an old-timers style hockey game? Seriously, it has become a joke. There is still value in showcasing your best players and having the additional revenue that comes from it however, we have recommended the following changes:



RECOMMENDED CHANGES

1. Move the All-Star festivities to the beginning of training camp and host it as a kickoff party for the upcoming season.

The NHL playoffs is the most grinding tournament in professional sports. There is no other championship in North America that requires the physicality and mental strength that hockey does. Sure football can be just as physical, but they only play once a week for a maximum of 3 games. The Stanley Cup requires 3 to 4 games a week for almost 7 consecutive weeks.

Hockey players deserve to have that mid-season rest and to get to spend some time with their families. Why penalize the best players by taking that away from them?

Some people have mentioned following suit with the NFL and holding the event at the end of the season. The only problem is that would bring the game well into June where most people are sick of hockey by then (just check the Stanley Cup finals ratings if you don’t believe us). Instead, this event could be moved to early September and used as a charity kickoff event for the upcoming season. Training camps and promotional campaigns typically start in early to mid-September. I’m sure that the players would sacrifice coming back a week early in order to have that break in the middle of the season.



2. Go Hollywood

Literally, and figuratively.

Move the weekend to the beaches in L.A. and get every single celebrity you can involved. Fuck, call Jason Priestley and Donnie Walberg if you have to (actually…..don’t). Turn this thing into the biggest NHL party of the year. Get somebody like Cuba Gooding Jr. or Denis Leary to host it and and run it like an MTV beach party with the players mingling in. Maybe even have some non-Def Leppard bands playing in the evening.

It also wouldn’t hurt to get the Ice Girls teams to compete in some pool olympics. The ‘Battle of the Ice Girls’. Yes please.

Imagine the hype that would be generated by having Samuel L. Jackson and Justin Timberlake involved in an event like this. Charity events involving celebrities have been held before, so this is nothing new.



3. Involve the Celebrities in the Event

Yes, have the celebrities participate in the skills competition. It is pretty much a sham anyway, so why not. Imagine Snoop Dogg going up against Jarome Iginla in the shooting accuracy contest. Or, picture Alex Trebek going in on a breakaway on Roberto Luongo.

I’ll take Ratings Gems for 500 Alex.

Let’s admit it folks, the all star events are a sham anyway. It is no longer about competing, but more about the show. We might as well embrace this and turn it into the best show we can. It would even be fun to have a couple of guest celebrity spots in the game and see how they hold up against the pro’s.

An event like would give the NHL the recognition that it is looking for and it would help to access to some of those outside target markets that it so covets. Celebrities have been brought in to hockey many times before in charity games, so we already know that it would work. The players and celebrities could even be competing for a charity of their choice for each of the skills events.

Sure, people don’t necessarily have hockey on the top of their minds in early September however, if done properly, this would become more than just a hockey event. Summer is ending and training camps are about to get under way. Why not get all the stars together with some celebrities and host a big kickoff party. I’m sure the ratings couldn’t be any worse than what they are now?

Food for thought