NHL is damaging its reputation with useless ASG and missing Olympics

[ViD]

The amount of players refusing to participate in the ASG is becoming pretty overwhelming.

It’s absolutely obvious there’s very few people desiring to watch Kreider vs Bertuzzi vs Tkachuk figure skating with sticks while most fans suffer without real hockey for almost 10 days.

Now, what every hockey fan in the world is waiting for is the best on best Olympics hockey.

The ratings in the USA were amazing for Russia vs USA game despite the early game start.

The NHL needs to abolish the All Star Game whatsoever and replace it with true ASG happening once in four years.

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[Arthur Morgan]

They don't care. anything to make money.

 

[qqaz]

I like the all-star game. *shrug*

 

[Z-Diddy]

Eh you're not wrong... just ignoring the fact that it's a business... and that it has owners of each branch product, it's just too bad they choose to promote it so archaically

ASG sucks a butt

 

[rt]

The All-Star game is for kids. It’s a fun event for young fans of the game. It’s not really surprising that adult fans skip it. Young fans matter and it’s fun for them. It helps grow the game that way.

Also, the NHL loves that it’s a huge corporate sponsorship event. It’s still good for the league, even if guys that are so die-hard that they post on hockey message boards don’t care for it.

Bottom line is that the All Stat event is good for the league, even if your average HFBoards poster doesn’t have any time for it. And that’s okay.

 

[RalphKing]

The NHL is Santa Clause compared to the IOC. Don't blame the NHL at all for parting ways there.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

They're damaging their reputation via Game Management point shaving. The All-Star is no more or less damaging than putting out mites in between periods.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Also if it helps bring the cap up abit I'm all for it. although I can't stand this All Star Weekend. cant wait for meaningful games again.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Every major sports league has a stupid All-Star Game. The MLB used to make theirs matter by awarding home field in the World Series to the winning league ("conference") and that in itself was even stupider*.

No reputation harm is being done. The players get a break to heal up for the stretch run. The league puts on a little fan fest in a different city each year with an exhibition game and an irreverent skills competition. Deal with it.

*originally thought that was still happening.

 

[Blueboy]

Problem is they want reps from every team.

Take the best of the best, then it will mean something.

Some of the guys attending make a joke of it.

 

[iFan]

I completely agree, I haven’t watched the all star game for years, I find it very annoying. I really really miss Olympic hockey, no better way to show of the game to the world than that.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Players are lazy and want to go on mid-winter benders so they like the ASG break.

The Olympics are stupid anyway, they got that one right.

The real damage the NHL is doing is jamming ads onto every inch of the boards, glass, front rows of arenas, surface of play, during all breaks of play on broadcasts, etc. That has destroyed the aesthetic of the game and they need a clean aesthetic as part of the presentation more than any other competitor sport because hockey is harder to follow for viewers.

 

[ViD]

Problem is they want reps from every team.

Take the best of the best, then it will mean something.

Some of the guys attending make a joke of it.

Well half of the top stats simply refused to come with sketchy excuses

 

[Roksta]

Can people who not like ASG stop telling me what I should like or not? Some people, among them kids who are new to the game do like the ASG and the festivities and the Skill competition even if it's cheesy and gimmicky.

 

[CheldishGamibno]

Not only that, the aberrant reffing from these recent years and the inconsistensy in suspensions make the NHL lose its credibility even more.
But I don't mind the ASG, I think it's beneficial for the players to have a small break in the middle of the season, sucks for the all-stars that can't take advantage of that though, makes no-sense.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I completely agree, I haven’t watched the all star game for years, I find it very annoying. I really really miss Olympic hockey, no better way to show of the game to the world than that.

Then go complain to the IOC and NHLPA about it

IOC refusal to work with NHL on issues involved with NHL participation and NHLPA rejected Olympic involvement when it was on negotiation table

The reputations of both those organizations is far more damaged by NHL not playing in Olympics

Also when it comes to ASG all the leagues have it and the fact this generation of athlete is so entitled and doesn't want to be involved is not fault of NHL or other leagues

Players enjoyed being part of Allstar experience and honor of being named in previous generations

 

[sansabri]

IOC is a joke.

 

[MXD]

Of course, Olympics would be great, and your post contains nothing "wrong" per se.

However, regarding the Olympics, it's not like the NHL is the only culprit here...

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

They should just make it extraordinarily host-team-centric. Put like a whole 3on3 team of St.Louis players out there, for example. It's fun enough for the kids and the host city. Everybody else can tune it out if desired. Sunshine cities for hosting and a real focus on icing players from the host team are really the only extra steps they could take to make it even more of what it already is. For the rest of the league it's a nice break, and that's good too. (Just - running a bye week and the ASG together is overkill).

 

[ACC1224]

Don't like the all-star game and could do without the Olympics.

 

[Eye Test]

When’s the last all star game people watched fully?

Think mine was al mccinis

 

[Hasbro]

Meh on the former. Wholeheartedly agree with the latter.

 

[KidLine93]

Yeah the Olympics is way more entertaining than the ASG but the IOC is a slimy organization and I don't blame the owners for not sending their "investments" over there to play for free and risk injury. I mean the NHL cant even show Olympic highlights afterwards. They gain nothing from that tournament and have a lot to lose.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

The ASG is irrelevant outside it currently being a show for people who actually attend. It never seems to attract new fans that stick and old fans don't seem to like it in any form it currently is in.
When it comes to the Olympics though, Nah, the NHL isn't damaging its reputation in the States. We Europeans are mostly bummed out by no NHL Olympics as we don't have the best league in the world, so we don't get to see the players ever. Once in 4 years was too much for the NHL.

 

[Jigger77]

I think people have to realize they have no interest in growing the game of hockey. They have interest in growing their portfolios.

I mean, think about it. What would actually help promote growth of the actual sport of hockey more, the international stage of the Olympics where arguably the best hockey has ever been played? Or a niche thing like the ASG that a few kids like?

Not letting players go to the Olympics is in my opinion completely contradictory to the notion of growing the game.