This year for the NHL All-Star game, two captains (Erik Staal and Nicklas Lidstrom) picked teams from a pool of players who were selected by ballot. You can see the results of the draft here, and for the most part the picks were quite sensible.
So, do you like this format? Poll in a moment.
I like it. Think it should be implemented in other All-star games, particularly the Pro Bowl. It doesn’t mean anything, so what’s the difference? Pitting one conference against the other is just as arbitrary as letting them pick teams so let them pick!
In any All-Star game I have more loyalty to individual players than to a conference or league, so I think it works out better this way for my interests.
Anything to liven these things up.
Great idea.
It was a nice change of pace. With Crosby being out, they couldn’t do the predictable Team Crosby and Team Ovechkin lineups. I’m sure that is the plan for next year.
It’s a nice change of pace and it’s consistent with hockey as it’s played by children, which is cool.
I’m not so sure. I thought that the OV- Sid thing was going to happen too. However, picking a local player to be a captain is brilliant, especially in a “non-traditional” hockey market. I would say that the 'Canes fans were engaged from the very beginning. If it had been Sid and Alex, they may not have had as much interest.