Zibanejad selected for ASG but opts out

[Kords]

LMAO

The team has been pushing to get him voted in and meanwhile behind he’s been like “I’d rather you didn’t”

I’m also shocked that Panarin has never made an all star team

Panarin was invited to the last ASG, but he declined as well and Kreider went in his place.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

The ASG is a joke, really. All the fan voting and "every team must have a player" really dilutes the prestige of being named.

Have no issue with players declining.

 

[nyr2k2]

Good, that he made it and that he declined.

ASG sucks in every sport. I'd prefer it be something someone is named--being named an All Star--and not an actual game.

 

[Kords]

No problem with him declining, but I don't ever wanna hear his name for Captain again. Yet another of the many reasons he has never deserved it.

It's a meaningless event, but the two guys who ARE going are proud to represent the Rangers and i'm proud to have them be our rep.

 

[Thirty One]

how cares

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

The email from the Rangers was the best.

You did it Fans!!! Way to go!! ... Mika not going.

Congratulations to Mika Zibanejad on winning this year’s Metropolitan Division Last Man In spot. We want to thank all of our New York Rangers fans for voting Mika into this position. Due to personal reasons, Mika will not be attending the All-Star Game.

LMAO

Good, the less Rangers at the game potentially getting an injury the better, the way I see it

 

[haohmaru]

The NHL "All Star Game" doesn't even resemble hockey. Mika's got a bunch of soldiers saved up that need to march > ASG

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

If Panarin has never been on one but Guentzel and Troy Terry have then the thing has no meaning.

There's 8 goalies selected to the All Star game, right? Funny thing is that Lundqvist was a top 8 finisher in Vezina voting 10 times in his career but only played in 5 all star games.

The All Star game is just a PR exercise at this point, too many players who are having All Star level seasons don't get included for it to matter.

Having to get one player from each team and having teams sorted by division make choosing the rosters more of a puzzle than anything else. If it would just be the top 24 forwards, top 12 D and top 8 goalies league wide, that would make it more legitimate, but that's not going to happen so it is what it is.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

This stupid pos who cares about everything but hockey is going to get suspended one game and you guys want him to be the captain. LMFAO.

 

[Boris Zubov]

how cares

How may care, but I don't

 

[LokiDog]

Doesn’t opting out usually come with a suspension? Either way, I don’t mind any player choosing rest over the game. Mika probably just didn’t like the lack of vegan options at the Vegas hotel though.

 

[LokiDog]

LMAO

The team has been pushing to get him voted in and meanwhile behind he’s been like “I’d rather you didn’t”

I’m also shocked that Panarin has never made an all star team

Bread made it last year (I think) but was injured or in protocol or something. Still surprising he’s only been selected once.

 

[Thirty One]

What if I told you that a captain of a team with 3 Cups in the last 15 years skips the All-Star game at every opportunity?

 

[will1066]

I don’t like when players refuse to go

Maybe the team should've checked with him before launching a campaign for him.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

This stupid pos who cares about everything but hockey is going to get suspended one game and you guys want him to be the captain. LMFAO.

Is this satire?

Do we need to break out the list of players who have declined invites to the all star game and been suspended one game as a result? I know at least THREE captains of cup winning teams off the top of my head who have opted out of attending in just the last few years: Jonathan Toews, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

Other notable players to be named and decide not to attend in the past: Nick Lidstrom, M.A Fleury, Jonathan Quick, Pavel Datsyuk and Tukka Rask.

 

[will1066]

What a waste of a campaign opportunity. Our fanbase can accomplish anything. We could've gotten McKegg in to the ASG if given the chance.

 

[Bob Richards]

This stupid pos who cares about everything but hockey is going to get suspended one game and you guys want him to be the captain. LMFAO.

Take a deep breath. I promise that everything is going to be ok when Mika doesn’t attend the ASG. You will survive this.

 

[Doctyl]

Eh I find it fun, especially the skills competition. And kids find it fun, most people never get to see all the leagues superstars and it’s an opportunity for kids to see all of them. These guys get paid millions & millions of dollars per year, regardless what you think of the festivities… I think it’s a bad look for players to scoff at it and refuse to go

Every kid dreams of seeing super star Adrian Kempe take the ice

 

[Kords]

I get that other players have declined, but usually after having already attending one or more. Honestly, it's all good either way but this was a fan push to vote him in and he declined. It's a bad look however you slice it.

That said, if he truly does have last minute personal issues a month from now than that's perfectly fair too.

 

[Doctyl]

What if I told you that a captain of a team with 3 Cups in the last 15 years skips the All-Star game at every opportunity?

Isn’t that just because Toews isn’t that good?

 

[Boris Zubov]

What a waste of a campaign opportunity. Our fanbase can accomplish anything. We could've gotten McKegg in to the ASG if given the chance.

John Scott ruined it for the 4th liners of the world.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

Is this satire?

Do we need to break out the list of players who have declined invites to the all star game and been suspended one game as a result? I know at least THREE captains of cup winning teams off the top of my head who have opted out of attending in just the last few years: Jonathan Toews, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

Other notable players to be named and decide not to attend in the past: Nick Lidstrom, M.A Fleury, Jonathan Quick, Pavel Datsyuk and Tukka Rask.

THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT OK. ITS STILL A TERRIBLY STUPID AND SELFISH THING TO DO. WHAT IF WE LOSE THE GAME HE IS SUSPENDED IN?

 

[Thirty One]

Isn’t that just because Toews isn’t that good?

Wrong team.

 

[UnSandvich]

THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT OK. ITS STILL A TERRIBLY STUPID AND SELFISH THING TO DO. WHAT IF WE LOSE THE GAME HE IS SUSPENDED IN?

Good thing that we play another game after that then, huh? And another after that, and than another, and then another...

 

[will1066]

I get that other players have declined, but usually after having already attending one or more. Honestly, it's all good either way but this was a fan push to vote him in and he declined. It's a bad look however you slice it.

That said, if he truly does have last minute personal issues a month from now than that's perfectly fair too.

Clarification: It was a team push, using the fans.