jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson) (02/12/85)
Well, tonight is the NHL All Star game. There's not nearly as much interest
in it as there used to be, but I always look forward to it because it's the
best chance to see all of the top players in the NHL. The main reason for
the lack of interest is that practically nobody cares about who wins between
the Campell Conference and the Wales Conference. Most people can't even name
which teams are in which conference.
Many people have suggested solving this problem by having the Stanley Cup
champs play the All-Stars. This would be a meaningful matchup because the
players would probably love a chance to beat the champs, and it shows how well
a great team unit does against a collection of great individuals.
This system was used with success in the days of the six-team league, but now
there are 21 teams from which to select players, so a lot of star players
wouldn't get to play (and we wouldn't get to see them), and it wouldn't be
feasible to have a representative from every NHL team. For these reasons, it's
unlikely that the NHL governors will ever approve such a scheme.
I have an idea that would solve both problems: Have two All Star teams but
make the matchup meaningful by having the Canadian All-Stars against the
non-Canadian All-Stars. I'm referring to where the players are from, not
where their teams are based. With the large number of great American and
European players in the NHL, it would be a pretty good game. The players
will be motivated and the fans will know who to root for. Any comments?
--
Jeff Richardson, DCIEM, Toronto (416) 635-2073
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