“because Bettman was trying to do the right thing”
Huh? Seriously?
There are no real things pertaining to the ASSG. It’s a show for the sponsors. All this blab about the ASSG building the league etc etc etc… bunk.
If there is no appeal to true hockey fans for the ASSG, why does one think there’s appeal to non-hockey fans?
Do non football fans watch the Pro Bowl?

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 01/26/09 at 12:55 PM ET

This is an okay take on the situation, but Eric fails to paint the other half of the picture. He accurately assesses that missing Lidstrom and Datsyuk doesn’t mean much to the fans at the ASG, as a whole. But he leaves out the part where suspending those two players for Tuesday’s regular season game leaves a whole lot of fans of the Red Wings that shelled out good money, took time off work, etc., to go see the Wings in Columbus sucking the proverbial shaft.

Good job, Gary, ass. Just alienate more fans.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 01/26/09 at 01:04 PM ET

If there is no appeal to true hockey fans for the ASSG, why does one think there’s appeal to non-hockey fans?

The league has always misunderstood what draws fans in.  11-10 games are not it.

The intensity, speed and passion of the sport is what draws people in.  None of these things are on display in an ASG. 

I did like Joe Thorton’s idea on how to improve the game: Make it matter to those who play.

Posted by shanetx on 01/26/09 at 01:18 PM ET

a couple of extra days off for their two veteran stars will help, not hurt, the Red Wings as they prepare to defend the Stanley Cup…

...what about the fact that we don’t have the means to fill these extra spots on the roster due to salary cap restrictions…again only looking at the issue from a distance, with no attention to detail except from Li’l Gary’s point of view.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 01/26/09 at 01:32 PM ET

I can just see it now…

Interviewer: Who would you credit the most for this second Stanley Cup victory in as many years?

Lidstrom: Babcock, of course, as well as Kenny Holland. Also, I’d like to thank Gary.Ass for that additional day off after the all-star game. That really helped with my confidence level, as well as gave me some added time to rest.

—-

Seriously, this is all some bullshit stunt by the NHL’s dunce-in-chief to try and stick it to the Wings. It might all just be a joke to him, but I assure you Gary.Ass that no one else is laughing.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 01/26/09 at 01:49 PM ET

So…  suppose the Wings were to announce that because they can’t dress a full complement of players, and because they will not overplay and thereby risk injury to the ones they can dress, that they’re considering a forfeit of tomorrow’s game.

Of course that’s not likely to happen, but I’d absolutely love to be in the room to see Gary. Ass.‘s face when he first found out. 

Posted by BobTheZee on 01/26/09 at 02:20 PM ET

...the All-Star get-together generates big interest in whatever market it is played and gets pretty good TV exposure around the continent.

It was on Versus, Eric…not NBC. So even if there were folks who wanted to see it, many of them wouldn’t be able to. But even that is a moot point. The real issue here is, the NHL’s ASG is so unlike a real hockey game that it’s irrelevant to both hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike.

I have a friend in Detroit who’s decided to “get into” hockey this year after giving up on both the Lions and the Pistons. He called me on Sunday before the game and said, “What the hell was that crap that was on last night (the “Skills” competition and the Young Stars game). That was the most boring thing I’ve ever seen. Is that what the All-Star Game is going to be like?” I had to say, “Yah, that’s pretty much the way it’ll be played.” His response was: “Well, that’s worse than watching the Lions play.”

MO’s comparison to the NFL’s Pro Bowl is a good one. No one plays either game like it’s a real game because both football and hockey are too risky to play at full intensity…unlike basketball or baseball. The ASG is a promotional gimmick. Period. So if someone like Nick Lidstrom, who’s been there for the past nine games, says he needs to opt out this time, Lil’ Gary should have said, “Okay, Nick. Thanks for all of your previous efforts. We hope you can make it next year. And we also understand that Pavel was injured in the last game, so we hope he’ll feel better next year, too.”

Choosing Nick and Pavel as “examples” was just about the dumbest thing Lil” Gary could have done. But, hey, who would expect anything else from this jackass.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 01/26/09 at 02:41 PM ET

I’m just surprised that an appeal for at least Datsyuk wouldn’t be successful—he didn’t miss the entire game prior to the break, but had to sit out the third with injury, and wasn’t even on the bench.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 01/26/09 at 04:03 PM ET

So… suppose the Wings were to announce that because they can’t dress a full complement of players, and because they will not overplay and thereby risk injury to the ones they can dress, that they’re considering a forfeit of tomorrow’s game.

That would be something else - but it would also hurt Columbus a lot, and that market doesn’t deserve it.  There are markets that one can argue are just crappy hockey markets because no one shows up no matter how well the team is playing; Columbus, if they can actually field a competitive team and start making the playoffs, will be a tremendous market.  They won’t need any help if they can have a good team.

His response was: “Well, that’s worse than watching the Lions play.”

Ouch.  That is just a little harsh, OTC.

I had no idea it was even on Versus, actually - I thought it was on NBC, but when I flipped over to check on scores it was CBC I checked because I don’t much like the NBC coverage anyway.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 01/26/09 at 07:58 PM ET