Speculation: All Star Game
- Thread starter Cowumbus
- Start date
Mayor Bee
Registered User
- Dec 29, 2008
- 18,085
- 531
Let's get Boll in
My plan for 2013 was to have a movement to get Klesla and Prospal in, since both were obviously on their last legs and unlikely to get another chance.
I even had bitmap campaign posters and logos and everything ready to go.
Viqsi
"that chick from Ohio"
Mayor Bee
Registered User
- Dec 29, 2008
- 18,085
- 531
Yet another thing the lockout stole from us.
The last remnant of my creativity? Yeah, that ain't coming back any time soon.
CAMSANITY
Registered User
I made all of my available votes today. You just search Ryan Johansen and you can select him, bogus but I got it done.
Mayor Bee
Registered User
- Dec 29, 2008
- 18,085
- 531
Going through the rest of the league, there's only one logical person to stuff the ballot box for: Derek MacKenzie. Here's why.
1) I'm a longtime proponent of the Commissioner's Choice selections that existed during the 1990s. These served as a way to put players into the game who may have been overlooked or were at the end of the line and unlikely to make it in otherwise. Picks included HOFers at the end of long careers (Bryan Trottier, Larry Robinson, Mark Messier), players who were generally underrated during their careers and approaching the end (Dale Hunter, Tony Granato), and players whose value to their teams eluded the stats sheet (Brad Marsh, Craig MacTavish).
2) The NHL used to have miscellaneous players in the skills competition, giving them a chance to showcase their skills against the best in the world. Who could forget guys like Stu Grimson and Jon Rohloff rubbing elbows with Wayne Gretzky and Ray Bourque?
MacKenzie would simply be a continuation of these established traditions.
3) We'd be hypocrites to not vote for someone like MacKenzie. The media lauds team-first players who will do "whatever it takes". We all eat up the idea of the quiet player who will do anything to help his team win, whether killing penalties or sacrificing his offensive opportunities to play shutdown defense. We point to these players and say "That is what hockey is all about." Yet when All-Star time comes, we all vote for the superlatively skilled players and shove aside the quiet ones whose game escapes the spotlight.
MacKenzie, in many ways, is the very type of player who should be lauded. He was a 5th-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers, who were so poorly managed that they could read through a stack of Superman comic books and never figure out the connection to Clark Kent. After years of being shuttled between the NHL and the AHL, including captaining the Chicago Wolves to the Calder Cup Finals, he wasn't qualified and was picked up by Columbus. He spent 7 years in Columbus, anchoring the fourth line and doing everything that was demanded of him. Fill in on a higher line for an injured player? Get MacKenzie out there. Need a defensive zone faceoff with 30 seconds left against a 6-on-4? MacKenzie, take the draw.
His career was almost ended twice, once due to a severely broken ankle and once due to a severe concussion. He persevered, knowing that being a first-line player in the NHL wasn't going to happen. He still holds the CBJ team record for highest +/- in a season by a forward. This is from a guy who had 40 goals in the OHL and represented Canada in the WJC. Other guys talk about sacrificing for the good of the team; MacKenzie has done exactly that.
4) Florida has no other worthy player in such a position. Aaron Ekblad may be playing like an All-Star; he's 18 and will have a ton more chances. Ditto Nick Bjugstad. Roberto Luongo has been there many times already.
Let MacKenzie have his moment. When the aforementioned Stu Grimson was sent to the Skills Competition, he commented about how he never thought that a plumber would be invited to the grand ball. When Dale Hunter was told that he was named to the 1997 Eastern All-Star Team as a Commissioner's Choice, he burst into tears. (That's right: Dale Hunter possessed emotions outside of hatred)
5) MacKenzie is still popular in Columbus. A guy with barely 300 career games, less than 50 career goals, and less than 100 career points is universally respected and loved in the city that gave him his first best chance.
6) No, this isn't Rory Fitzpatrick. MacKenzie's career high in goals is 9 (twice); Fitzpatrick had 10 in his career. MacKenzie was +19 with Columbus; Fitzpatrick is a career - player. MacKenzie has more than double the points of Fitzpatrick, and the gap widens when you consider that nearly half of Fitzpatrick's career came after his all-star push.
7) I'm not attempting to embarrass the NHL, or change the voting process, or make some type of grandiose statement. I believe that Derek MacKenzie should be the Florida Panthers' representative in the 2015 All-Star Game, to be held in the very city that MacKenzie had his best years and emerged as an NHL player instead of a career minor leaguer.
He's earned the chance.
(Note: I do not endorse or support bot voting, scripts, or other attempts to manipulate the legitimate process.)
1) I'm a longtime proponent of the Commissioner's Choice selections that existed during the 1990s. These served as a way to put players into the game who may have been overlooked or were at the end of the line and unlikely to make it in otherwise. Picks included HOFers at the end of long careers (Bryan Trottier, Larry Robinson, Mark Messier), players who were generally underrated during their careers and approaching the end (Dale Hunter, Tony Granato), and players whose value to their teams eluded the stats sheet (Brad Marsh, Craig MacTavish).
2) The NHL used to have miscellaneous players in the skills competition, giving them a chance to showcase their skills against the best in the world. Who could forget guys like Stu Grimson and Jon Rohloff rubbing elbows with Wayne Gretzky and Ray Bourque?
MacKenzie would simply be a continuation of these established traditions.
3) We'd be hypocrites to not vote for someone like MacKenzie. The media lauds team-first players who will do "whatever it takes". We all eat up the idea of the quiet player who will do anything to help his team win, whether killing penalties or sacrificing his offensive opportunities to play shutdown defense. We point to these players and say "That is what hockey is all about." Yet when All-Star time comes, we all vote for the superlatively skilled players and shove aside the quiet ones whose game escapes the spotlight.
MacKenzie, in many ways, is the very type of player who should be lauded. He was a 5th-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers, who were so poorly managed that they could read through a stack of Superman comic books and never figure out the connection to Clark Kent. After years of being shuttled between the NHL and the AHL, including captaining the Chicago Wolves to the Calder Cup Finals, he wasn't qualified and was picked up by Columbus. He spent 7 years in Columbus, anchoring the fourth line and doing everything that was demanded of him. Fill in on a higher line for an injured player? Get MacKenzie out there. Need a defensive zone faceoff with 30 seconds left against a 6-on-4? MacKenzie, take the draw.
His career was almost ended twice, once due to a severely broken ankle and once due to a severe concussion. He persevered, knowing that being a first-line player in the NHL wasn't going to happen. He still holds the CBJ team record for highest +/- in a season by a forward. This is from a guy who had 40 goals in the OHL and represented Canada in the WJC. Other guys talk about sacrificing for the good of the team; MacKenzie has done exactly that.
4) Florida has no other worthy player in such a position. Aaron Ekblad may be playing like an All-Star; he's 18 and will have a ton more chances. Ditto Nick Bjugstad. Roberto Luongo has been there many times already.
Let MacKenzie have his moment. When the aforementioned Stu Grimson was sent to the Skills Competition, he commented about how he never thought that a plumber would be invited to the grand ball. When Dale Hunter was told that he was named to the 1997 Eastern All-Star Team as a Commissioner's Choice, he burst into tears. (That's right: Dale Hunter possessed emotions outside of hatred)
5) MacKenzie is still popular in Columbus. A guy with barely 300 career games, less than 50 career goals, and less than 100 career points is universally respected and loved in the city that gave him his first best chance.
6) No, this isn't Rory Fitzpatrick. MacKenzie's career high in goals is 9 (twice); Fitzpatrick had 10 in his career. MacKenzie was +19 with Columbus; Fitzpatrick is a career - player. MacKenzie has more than double the points of Fitzpatrick, and the gap widens when you consider that nearly half of Fitzpatrick's career came after his all-star push.
7) I'm not attempting to embarrass the NHL, or change the voting process, or make some type of grandiose statement. I believe that Derek MacKenzie should be the Florida Panthers' representative in the 2015 All-Star Game, to be held in the very city that MacKenzie had his best years and emerged as an NHL player instead of a career minor leaguer.
He's earned the chance.
(Note: I do not endorse or support bot voting, scripts, or other attempts to manipulate the legitimate process.)
WannabeFinn
Beloved One
Guarantee you it's because 1) many, many CBJ fans (especially outside of HFboards) LOVE JMFJ so they're going to pile it on in the voting, and 2) sad story about his financial situation/relationship with parents broke today, likely getting many sympathy votes
)Let's get Boll in
...to the ECHL All Star Game? If Boll makes the NHL All-Star Game, it should be the last one they ever have.
ouch........and actually.....vote in Mason since he gives up weak ones like its an all star game anyways
WannabeFinn
Beloved One
It's disappointing to me how far down the leaderboards Johansen and Foligno are, they're both playing ABOVE PPG right now and you got guys like Alex Galchenyuk (13 points in 21 games) above them 
1857 Howitzer
******* Linesman
It's disappointing to me how far down the leaderboards Johansen and Foligno are, they're both playing ABOVE PPG right now and you got guys like Alex Galchenyuk (13 points in 21 games) above them
It's a popularity contest really. With so few spots it's not very likely a Jacket will get voted in.
It sounds like the neon dream will be coming true.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/leaked-images-show-neon-all-star-jerseys-could-be-on-the-horizon/
http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/leaked-images-show-neon-all-star-jerseys-could-be-on-the-horizon/
It sounds like the neon dream will be coming true.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/leaked-images-show-neon-all-star-jerseys-could-be-on-the-horizon/
Those are so poorly designed. They're trying to be like Nike but completely swinging and missing.
slacketbacker
Registered User
It sounds like the neon dream will be coming true.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/leaked-images-show-neon-all-star-jerseys-could-be-on-the-horizon/
Why Neon??? How is it that we continue to be stuck with the Neon color here in Columbus? I thought we finally did away with that color after the first logo.
I was really excited to purchase an All Star Sweater . . . no so much now. It better look better than this in person.
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