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For the Fans, or For the NHL?
The All-Star Game is intended to be a spectacle of grand proportions, and it is supposed to be all about the fans. Though, the NHL seems to have lost sight of the fans as they announced that the Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Toews and the Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin would each serve one-game suspensions for being unable to attend the festivities on Tuesday night.
Understandable, if the players opted out to sit on a beach, or simply didn’t want to play. However, both players have been pulled because of an illness (Toews) or an injury (Ovechkin). Sure, some players might choose to opt out, but both Ovechkin and Toews have always participated in years past giving no indication that they might be abusing the system.
Of course, the fans would like to see Toews and Ovechkin participate in the All-Star weekend, but their fans were punished further by their absences in a game that really meant something when they are forced to sit out. Thank you, NHL as you have managed yet again to punish everyone else in your effort to make the All-Star Game relevant.
They did everything in their power to keep one player out for fear that it would diminish the ‘importance’ of the game (spoiler alert, he made the weekend bearable) while they held others hostage with threats of disciplinary action should they not attend.
At the end of the day, the league’s showcase for the fans has already been deemed a gimmicky joke because the league has created so much fuss. The 3-on-3 format translated quite well for the All-Star Game and is likely to remain going forward, but without an underdog like John Scott who had nearly the entire fan base of the NHL rooting for him, there is no telling how the weekend may have gone.
Rules Are Meant To Be Broken
In the Collective Bargaining Agreement made between the league and the players, both sides agreed to suspend players for a game if they miss the All-Star weekend. However, there probably needs to be some changes to that ruling. If a player is legitimately ill or injured and can not participate why should they be punished.
Is it really in the league’s best interest to have Ovechkin or Toews risk a long term injury just to appease the NHL’s powers that be? How does that benefit the fans?
Especially given that both teams and the league would be negatively impacted by a long-term loss of either player. In fact, it could negatively impact the playoff landscape and cut short a season for two powerhouse teams that are bound to produce good ratings with deep playoff runs. Obviously, both teams are unlikely to fall out of playoff contention even without Toews or Ovechkin at this late stage in the season; However, if Toews or Ovechkin were unable to participate, you better believe their chances of making it out of the first round drop considerably.
Of course, you might think that the team doctors will say and do anything to get their players a few extra days of rest (and they might), but at some point, the league should consider taking the teams at their word as they are the ones actually making the money for the NHL. Without the teams and players, the league itself is absolutely worthless.
While they are busy looking at the players like they are biting the hands that feed them, it is actually the other way around. What’s worse, is that the players miss a game that their fans know is important in the regular season, while the All-Star Game has no bearing.
As a fan myself, I would love to see my favorite players participate in All-Star weekend. Though, if they are ill or injured, I would be more upset to see them muscle through so the league doesn’t punish the team.
In the grand scheme of things, I would much prefer the game not happen at all if the league continues to waste time and energy trying to control the votes by bullying guys like John Scott, suspending players for bowing out for valid reasons, and allowing the event to become a bigger joke by turning the skills competition into a sideshow act. John Scott, Jonathan Toews, and Alex Ovechkin are the least of their concerns.
NHL Bites the Hand That Feeds Them…Again.
While the league got the last word as Ovechkin and Toews sat on Tuesday night, the Washington Capitals and their fans were punished.
The Blackhawks are lucky in that they won their game against the Avalanche (2-1) largely due in part to their forward depth and the sheer number of great leaders in their locker room. Teuvo Tervainen slotted in seamlessly at center for the night and Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook took over the leadership role.
However, the Caps struggled against the red-hot Florida Panthers without Ovechkin (Braden Holtby had the night off after participating in the All-Star Break). The Caps are not without firepower, but when you subtract a leading scorer and emotional leader for a team, it can be crippling. Tuesday’s 5-2 blowout loss was a clear example of that.
For Toews and Ovechkin, it meant an extra day of rest. Something that will likely be a benefit to both of them down the stretch. However, the fans who came out to see Alex Ovechkin and Jonathan Toews were deprived of that, and they have the NHL to thank. Way to look out for your fans.
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