# What do you think of this year's NHL All-star game format? (Captains pick teams) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 29, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-this-years-nhl-all-star-game-format-captains-pick-teams/569419 "2011-01-29T16:12:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-this-years-nhl-all-star-game-format-captains-pick-teams/569419/1 "2011-01-29T16:12:22Z")
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](http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=550934&navid=DL%7CNHL%7CAllStarGame2011), and for the most part the picks were quite sensible. So, do you like this format? Poll in a moment. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-this-years-nhl-all-star-game-format-captains-pick-teams/569419/2 "2011-01-29T16:15:28Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-this-years-nhl-all-star-game-format-captains-pick-teams/569419/3 "2011-01-29T16:19:31Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-this-years-nhl-all-star-game-format-captains-pick-teams/569419/4 "2011-01-29T16:20:48Z")
Anything to liven these things up. Great idea. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-this-years-nhl-all-star-game-format-captains-pick-teams/569419/5 "2011-01-31T13:42:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-this-years-nhl-all-star-game-format-captains-pick-teams/569419/6 "2011-01-31T14:33:43Z")
It’s a nice change of pace and it’s consistent with hockey as it’s played by children, which is cool. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-this-years-nhl-all-star-game-format-captains-pick-teams/569419/7 "2011-01-31T15:21:49Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > 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. 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.