NHL All-Star Game needs changes to remain relevant

With star players sitting out the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, the league needs to change certain aspects of the event to cater to the players and the fans.

The 2020 NHL All-Star Game, which is just around the corner, is supposed to showcase the best of the best that the league has to offer. However, just as in recent years, big-name players and stars have decided to not participate, electing to have the week off to give their bodies a break from the grueling sport and to spend time with their families.

One of the league’s premier players, the elected captain for the Metropolitan Division in Alex Ovechkin, will be sitting out of the event for a second straight year.

In an article by J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington, Ovechkin explained his reasoning for why he decided to go this route yet again.

"More from Puck ProseDetroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and DownsThis Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings“Thanks, first of all, fans for voting me,” Ovechkin said. “It’s a hard decision, but I have to listen to my body. I have to get ready for the second half of the year. I have to be healthy and focus on different things. It’s a hard decision, obviously, being the captain and missing the All-Star Game, but have to do best for me and for my team.”"

And you cannot blame him. Other notable players that followed in Ovi’s footsteps are netminders Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins and Marc Andre-Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings, even made comments during a post-game interview asking fans to not vote for him because he wanted the days off.

Whatever the reasons may be for skipping, the league as of last year has made it a rule that a player who is selected and does not participate will have to sit out one regular-season game (before or after All-Star Break). This event is for the fans, but the league needs to keep in mind that without its brightest stars competing, it leaves a sour taste in people’s viewpoint of the event.

For starters, suspending the players one game does not seem like much of a punishment. But when you look at how close some of the divisions are, particularly the Pacific Division, where four teams are separated by one point, one game can be a crucial difference-maker at the end of the season.

And honestly, I do not know what the correct punishment should be if there should be a punishment at all. I get why it is in play because the league is a business and making money is the goal. The winning team of the 3-on-3 competition gets $1 million dollars collectively, as a way to entice players to try. For the other events, the winners should be compensated as well.

To me, being an All-Star in a professional sports league means being a player who plays at the top of their game for the long haul of a season. Not half a season. For this reason, I believe that the All-Star Game should be moved to the end of the year as we see in the National Football League. With the game being moved, there should still be a break from hockey activity for a week at the halfway point for these players to get some rest and see their families.

This is when the World Junior’s should occur, so fans can pay closer attention to the young talent, and future NHLers. Unlike in the National Football League, where the All-Star events take place after the regular season but exclude Super Bowl players, we want every team included.

That being said, why not have the All-Star festivities take place the week after the regular season comes to a close? See who the best players were for a whole year and combat players saying they want to rest before the hardest playoffs in all of the sports. Add a mandatory three or four days off after the All-Star Game. Then the players will return to practice and get ready for their upcoming playoff run.

Now, for the event itself, we have seen the league add unique competitions to spice it up. We saw the goalie shot competition, which Mike Smith made rather exciting. The three-on-three competition, rather than a full five-on-five game, has made the event more appealing to the common fan, with more excitement and skill.

These last two seasons have shown incredible growth in player’s ability with the puck on their stick. Moves like “The Michigan” and the between the leg shot have come to the forefront. And the league should use this creativity aspect to modify the shootout competition that’s already in place.

When you think about All-Star Games across different leagues, you see the NBA with the Slam Dunk Competition. In the MLB, you see the Home Run Derby. The NHL needs something like that, which can draw the fan’s attention and captivate it. The league should use the creativity of the players and host a different style shootout competition, with a panel of judges, particularly Hall of Famers.

A shootout is already an event where we see players use their creativity, for example, Patrick Kane being superman, or players letting their younger children show off their moves in a cute fashion. We as fans live to see new skills and creativity, and having a panel during the shootout grading each move may push players to create moves never seen before.

The NHL needs to find a way to keep the fans engaged as well as the players. If the best-of-the-best decides that resting is more important, than others will follow, but adding new events and new rewards might be a deciding factor. The top players in the league need to be attending if the NHL wants to showcase their true talent to the world.