2008 NHL All Star Game In Review

While there seemed to be much anticipation heading into the mid-season classic in Atlanta, there were a few skeptics that thought the celebration of the elite had lost it’s allure for both fans and players alike.

I must admit that I was somewhat skeptical of attraction that the game would have for the fans,  especially without premiere caliber intermission entertainment and the number of All-Stars not attending due to injuries or otherwise.

However, as the All Star weekend drew to a close this evening, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the weekend’s events.   Versus did a fine job with the added features on their website and the entertainment value for the fans was higher than I had expected.

While I am not a fan of the 3 on3 format of the young stars game, I was thoroughly impressed with the play of Boston’s Milan Lucic.  He showed exceptional hands and was certainly a man among boys as far as strength and power of the youngsters was concerned.  It is clearly too early to judge his career, but the 0comparisons to Cam Neely that are coming out of Boston just might have some merit.

I was somewhat disappointed with the new breakaway challenge competition and the lack of effort and creativity that the majority of the participants displayed.  I will, however, not knock the players for trying because it would certainly be difficult to perform moves that you are not used to practicing in from of 20,000 fans.

Gary Bettman noted on XM Radio following the competition that he fully expects this new format to continue, so we might see some great moves next year when the players have more time to prepare and know what to expect.  I personally don’t see hockey players in general as the type of “camera happy” show-offs that the NBA players are, but time will tell.

Is it just me or is Alexander Ovechkin the happiest person on the face of the earth?  This kid just exudes passion and a love for the sport that is unparalleled in my opinion.  Ovechkin’s toothless grin seems to be permanently painted on his face from ear to ear – how can you not love that?

In a time where most players see the game as work and each day at the rink as another day at the office, Ovechkin wears his love for the game on his sleeve.  Regardless if 100 people  or 100,000 people are watching, if there is a puck to chase around and a net to put it in, he doesn’t have a care in the world.

While the NHL’s poster boy is out with a sprained ankle, this is the perfect time to look past Crosby to admire Ovechkin.

Ovechkin is pure.  He doesn’t need to hawk Tim Hortons doughnuts, sell Gatorade or plug RBK; he just has to be himself because he exudes charisma.  His interviews, although conducted in broken English, are always exceptionally genuine and completely sincere. Conversely,  Crosby’s interviews are almost robotic in nature and his responses seem to become more emotionally detached with each passing question.

Don’t get me wrong, Crosby is great for the sport, but if this weekend has taught me anything it is that Alexander Ovechkin is truly an amazing ambassador for the game.