jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson) (03/21/86)
A few weeks ago, I conducted a survey of this news group to find out the
preferred format for the NHL All-star game. Well, the responses have
stopped coming in so here are the results:
a) Keep the current format ................. 5 votes
b) NHL vs. Soviets ......................... 2 votes
c) Cup champs vs. other teams' All-Stars ... 3 votes
d) Canadians vs. Americans & Europeans ..... 0 votes
e) Eliminate the game completely ........... 1 vote
f) None of the above ....................... 1 vote
I was surprised to see the strong support for the current format. Some
of the people who voted for it did suggest improvements though, such as
not allowing the fans pick the players, and having the coach-of-the-year
winners from each conference coach the game. The main criticism of it was
that there isn't enough rivalry or identification between conferences.
People were against playing the Soviets mainly because they figured the
all-stars would not have a chance to prepare for it in the middle of the
NHL season. Ken Hruday suggested that that problem could be solved by
playing the game at the beginning of the season, and that it might also
get people watching hockey sooner than they would otherwise.
There wasn't any criticism of the Stanley Cup champs idea. I like it because
it shows the unique matchup of a team unit vs. a bunch of individual stars.
Canadians vs. the rest was not well-liked because it may be a mismatch, and
because American interest would be low if their team had to rely on Europeans.
The person who voted to eliminate the game said that the true showcase of talent
is the Cup final, and the all-star game unnecessarily lengthens the season.
The person who voted for none of the above suggested a 3-team mini-tournament
between all-star teams from Canada, U.S.A. and Europe.
Many thanks to all who participated.
--
Jeff Richardson, DCIEM, Toronto (416) 635-2073
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