You don't need anything more than an introductory statistics course to figure out that as the league expanded, so, too, did the incidence of no-stars going to the all-star game. The game is a quaint carryover from a more innocent sporting time, and if it were scrapped after next month's game in Toronto, nobody would shed a tear. It's hard to imagine how the league's Manhattan-based braintrust can think of this exhibition of no-checking wave-at-your-man shinny as a showcase for the league. It in no way resembles hockey as it's played in the Stanley Cup playoffs. - By going to the North America versus the World format, the NHL made a shrewd decision a couple of seasons back, but the novelty has already worn off. It mostly shows that the top scorers dangle alike, regardless of their continent of origin. Us versus Them has little more psychological weight now than Campbells versus Waleses did. Still, the fundamental problem with the all-star game is the presence of undeserving players and die absence of players of real merit. The former we'll label the Mannoes for the aforementioned reasons, the latter the Arvies, in tribute to Senators left-winger Magnus Arvedson, who was left off the World team for no good reason this year. Mannoes dot the rosters of both the North American and World teams because the league's determination to have players represent each and every franchise. You can understand the thinking of the league on this count. In the hockey-oblivious sun belt or in the home of the game, it's hard to sell your franchise to the fans if it doesn't boast at . least one all-star player. Exactly what would you be getting if your team didn't have one of these guys? Well, probably, the Atlanta Thrashers or the Nashville Predators or the Tampa Bay Lightning. The players selected from these teams aren't just marginal. They're laughable. - Take the two most recent franchise arrivals. The Thrashers are sending rookie defenceman Petr Buzek to the World team. The Predators are also sending Kimmo Timonen to the global blueline. If you are versed in the accomplishments of these two gentlemen, you have likely given up your day job for full-time hockey-pool playing. Then there's the challenge of Rick Dudley's life, the Lightning. Tampa is sending defenceman Petr Svoboda to the World side in the all-star gala. , None of these guys is a match to, say, Toronto's Tomas Kaberle or Buffalo's Alexei Zhitnik, to name a couple. Trouble is the Leafs have three other representatives and the Sabres a pair. Worse, Timonen's availability has been made doubtful due to injury, so Nashville would not only have to send a second choice tough enough to call at best, harder yet if you try to fit that body onto the World blueline. Karlis Skrastins? Richard Lintner? The World might be better to dress Timonen, not play him, and see if anybody notices. The Arvies are another matter. Frequently the deserving players passed over have a game Eke Arved-son's. He doesn't own blow-away numbers in goals scored or assists, but his game is more effective than a legion of players above him on the scoring lists. Executives and scouts around the league recognized his potential in his rookie season and twigged to his impact With the Senators long before he made . the short list for the Selke Trophy last year. Arvedson and Marian Hossa won't be in Toronto, but the Islanders' Manno selection, Marius Czerkawski, will J Radek Bonk is the sole Senators J player so far announced for the all-star game, and he's a worthy representative. Still, there's no justice if one of the S league's best lines is represented by j Bonk alone. Nor is there any justice that one of the league's best teams is af-! forded one roster spot, the same as At- lanta, Nashville, the Islanders or the ' struggling Canadiens. . It's hard to care about this game at any ', time, harder yet when some of the best ; get left home and others can't win con- sideration, no matter how well they !flay. N Arvedson and Hossa will watch Petr Buzek and Petr Svoboda play in an NHL ! All-Star Game. i It's only a crying shame if you think J Jhe game matters at all or if you have a , tonus clause in your contract.