NHL Gets it right with All-Star game.

Over the past twenty years professional sports have moved further and further away from backyard rinks, wide open farm fields and empty concrete parking lots that house a lone beat off basketball hoop. The trend has been, sports becoming more professional. This is somewhat natural as they are after all, businesses. Sports entertainment has become a billion dollar industry, and lost in labour disputes, collective bargaining agreements, network television contracts and multimillion dollar endorsement deals is why we all began playing sports; for the fun. Organizations like the National Football League, Major League Baseball, The National Basketball Association and the National Hockey Association are big business, in every sense of the word. The bottom line (dollar) is what is sadly most important to the men and women in charge. Because of this, many strict rules and regulations are put on the men and women who play these sports professionally. Dress codes in the NBA now and more “tame” touchdown celebrations in the NFL are two widely known examples. The NFL now often coined the “No Fun League” because of it. The world of professional sports has become more and more serious with each passing year, moving further away from the root of our passion to be involved with them; Enjoyment, fun, excitement. 

One of these four leagues actually got something right this time around. The National Hockey League will be holding its annual All-Star game on January 30^th. For the 1^st time, the teams will be selected the same way in which they would have been when these men were children on their community ponds.  Two captains, alternating picks until all players have been selected: a draft so to speak. Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes and Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings are the two players chosen to do the honours. The fans got to vote all the eligible players into the game itself, but Staal and Lidstrom will decide who suits up for who’s team. An exercise that will be very refreshing and I am sure, entertaining. In the past the NHL has done the Eastern Conference versus Western Conference Format, as well as North America versus the World. But this idea, who’s ever it was will surely be a slam dunk. It brings men who seem untouchable because of their fame, back to the roots of the game. The fan can watch and relate to what’s going on. Seeing that will remind us that the game they play on television every night, for millions of dollars, is the same one we all play on ponds in our backyards with younger brothers.