Ideas for making the ASG a bit more interesting?

[daver]

Kind of like asking asking for an idea to make a pile of shit more appealing.

 

[ViD]

The only valid idea to make it interesting is abolish it and send the players to the real ASG that happens once in 4 years

 

[Hammettf2b]

Oh, I think I would absolutely hate it, too.

But... as long as this is an exhibition that doesn't matter one iota in the grand scheme, you're always going to have the problem of players just not caring about it. If the goal is to make it matter and make players care, you have to put something on the line, as awful as crappy as that might be.

Throw money at them instead.

 

[SuperScript29]

I can't recall when this happened, but I remember back in the 90's the All-Star games were actually a much bigger deal, and playing in them was a positive feather in your resume that actually meant something. Why is it a joke today in comparison?

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

All stars vs defending cup champs. Although that format probably made more sense back when there wasn't so much player movement year to year, but still would be more interesting than now.

 

[Hammettf2b]

I can't recall when this happened, but I remember back in the 90's the All-Star games were actually a much bigger deal, and playing in them was a positive feather in your resume that actually meant something. Why is it a joke today in comparison?

The change in culture. You had players back in the day who were very competitive and wanted to win at everything compared to the players today. Not just in hockey either. Just look at the difference in players in the NBA. Just my 2 cents.

 

[SuperScript29]

The change in culture. You had players back in the day who were very competitive and wanted to win at everything compared to the players today. Not just in hockey either. Just look at the difference in players in the NBA. Just my 2 cents.

How were the rosters picked back then? I can't recall a requirement for every team needed to be represented. I remember the All-Star lineups actually looked liked an All-Star lineup.

 

[TheOtherOne]

youth and winnings
All-Star Tournament: Two simple changes- youth and winnings

 

[McBeastMode]

Put tkachuk out with Draisaitl and McDavid

Haha, lmao at Draisaitl’s comments if he has to play with Tkurtle at the All Star game.

“I’ll probably get off the ice”

 

[Hammettf2b]

How were the rosters picked back then? I can't recall a requirement for every team needed to be represented. I remember the All-Star lineups actually looked liked an All-Star lineup.

East vs West irrc I don't remember every team being represented either

 

[EdJovanovski]

Putting in players who would lose to a Bantam AAA team when there are point per game NHL players getting snubbed would make things pretty interesting

 

[nyrleetch]

I can't recall when this happened, but I remember back in the 90's the All-Star games were actually a much bigger deal, and playing in them was a positive feather in your resume that actually meant something. Why is it a joke today in comparison?

Doesn't a lot of it have to do with TV Exposure? Back then you couldn't always see the best play, and now you can watch any of them every single day.

 

[Recipe Unlimited]

Make it the semi finals and finals of a best-on-best international tournament. Have the quarter finals and round robin games occur in the pre-season. Maybe just the finals if two games is too much.

 

[easton117]

Light the rink on fire. Win and you can leave. Lose and well....

Hell melt the ice and play ball hockey with the plastic sticks. I might actually watch that.

 

[SuperScript29]

Doesn't a lot of it have to do with TV Exposure? Back then you couldn't always see the best play, and now you can watch any of them every single day.

I'm pretty sure TV exposure is part of it. I just find it interesting how it was considered prestigious to be part of it, then turn to something that the players try to fake injuries just to get out of it.

 

[Dynamite Time]

When Ovi scored in the breakaway comp with a cowboy hat and two sticks that was the point I stopped watching anything to do with the ASG.... replace it with a young guns game and see the future talent coming up. Use it to build the game with kids, make it fun for them and engage them in the events!

Also a "beer league" team would be fun to do the skill's comp. Let some average joe's try the event to show how amazing NHL players actually are.

Exactly, let the new Young Guns coming into league do so.

 

[MoPucks]

Saw this idea on twitter.. Return the format to East vs West. Winning team in the all-star gets one extra wild card team, losing team loses a wild card in the playoffs. So you could have 9 east teams, 7 west teams where the top west seed would play one of the eastern wild card teams and vice-versa. Sure, it's a crazy idea, but it would definitely make the ASG more interesting.

 

[ThirdManIn]

I was sitting here giving this a little thought when I decided that the All Star Games I watched when I was a kid (so we're talking 90s here) were better and it has gotten less entertaining to me as they continue to change things from that more simple East v West format.

And then it hit me. The games were more entertaining then because I was a kid and they were supposed to be more fun then. Nothing is broken. Adulthood brings cynicism is all.

 

[mikeyfan]

In each division every team would submit 2 lines , 2 Fwds, 1 Defenseman. a round robin would be played among the teams in each division with the top 3 lines moving on to represent that division in the semi-finals of the All Star Game. Goalies are either assigned at random or would play for both of the teams squads. These games could be played during the skills competition or before the All Star Game. Anyway you'd get to see the best from all the teams play and not just a select few.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Cancel it. Thats the best fix

 

[bobholly39]

The league is correct to suspend its players. It's a huge marketing event for the league - and if you refuse to go, you should be penalized.

 

[bobholly39]

East vs West, and the winning side gets home ice in the Stanley Cup Finals

Have the league pay out each player 2 game checks if they are elected to the ASG (one for the Skills Night, one for the game itself). If they elect not to play, they don't get paid. And give the winning team a healthy bonus check as well.

Make it worth their while to play, and make it worth their while to care. I personally don't like the MLB rule that gives home field advantage to the winning side, but it does create competition between the two leagues when something like that is up for grabs.

Home ice advantage for the finals doesn't make sense - and it wouldn't even change anything. Half the players playing for the "east" this year know their teams have no chance to get to the finals, and don't care. And those that have a chance - they're probably more concerned about staying healthy and don't care about potential home ice 5 months later. The fans wouldn't care either - if you're a Tampa, Boston, Pitt, Wash fan - do you really care if your conference wins home ice 5 months before?

But if you want to give a reward that teams, players and fans would care about - how about some draft incentive. The team who wins the all star game (so keep it divisional teams, or conference teams, works either/or) - one of the winning players win an extra first round draft pick in upcoming draft. So for example:

1. After the ASG - all players from the winning team are put in a draw where 1 player wins (a bit like the draft lottery, where 1 team wins). It would be 1 ball per player - so if a team has 2 players, or 0 players, higher odds. So if Ovechkin refuses to go - and gets replaced by a Pitt player for example - and his teams wins the ASG/Pitt wins the lotto - Caps fan would be pissed.
2. Whichever team won the above draw - they win one lotto ball in the Draft Lottery (so equivalent of same odds as the 15th place team to win). (if 1 ball too low - maybe give slightly increase odds, to make it more exciting, but nothing too drastic)
3. If the team wins the lotto - great, they win the first, second or third overall picks in the draft. Fantastic.
4. If the team doesn't win the lotto - they still get an extra first round pick, in last place (so 32nd pick, or 33rd after Seattle joins).
5. After the first round in the draft - second round goes back as normal, 1 per team.

This accomplishes a few things:

1. Gives ASG more meaning (I guarantee you that if most fans don't care about the all star games - ALL fans love the draft and would love even more to be able to win first overall)
2. Gives playoff teams a shot at first overall pick too

 

[serp]

I think the ASG ittself is stupid . Thats pretty much in every sport the case . The skill competition and other events around the ASG is way more interesting. Make that bigger and less focus on the game ittself. Invite lesser known players who are great at certain thing compete next to All-Stars in the skills evens. For example everybody has seen Connor McDavid do his thing at the ASG by now against other All-Stars . Give him specialized competition. I'm fairly certain for example there's guys who are as fast if not faster than McDavid in the league. Their overall game just isn't worthy for playing in the ASG .

Make it a fun even players want to go to. Currently it is not.

 

[flames96]

How were the rosters picked back then? I can't recall a requirement for every team needed to be represented. I remember the All-Star lineups actually looked liked an All-Star lineup.

agree, i believe one game had 4 of 5 in the staring lineup were from the penguins?

 

[nturn06]

Put tkachuk out with Draisaitl and McDavid

Or even better, play one on one hockey, send Tkachuck vs Doughtly, and remove the puck.