Skills Competition Thought

Why the NHL All-Star Game is now cooler than U.S. elections

You know, I have no real opinion on this. There’s no real way to control the voting once it moves online. But it does make me think of All-Star Weekend, and how the Skills Competition seriously needs to be revamped.

I brought this up last season. I think that the Skills Competition ought to be a real competition – and not this fake one that’s set up just to display the talents of the guys voted or chosen to play in the All-Star Game. We can see what those guys can do during the game, you know?

Instead, I think the Skills Competition ought to be truly a competition among the best of the guys in the entire league. I think all of the teams ought to set up their own individual skills competitions, and the league ought to gather the results of all 30 teams to determine who participates All-Star Weekend’s Skills Competition. I mean, it’s all well and good for Ovechkin to skate against Crosby during the fastest skater competition, but are they really a couple of the fastest skaters in the entire league? Does anyone even know that for sure?

They should open up All-Star Weekend to the entire league – whether they play in the game that weekend or not. It would be like a mini-hockey Olympics where the best in each category would have a chance to go head to head with each other. Chances are, many of the guys playing in the All-Star game would be participating. However, it would give some guys, who would never have a chance to participate in the weekend otherwise, the opportunity to be recognized for their talents as well.

Let’s forget the sham and see who’s really the best.

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