How to fix the All-star Game- International Play

[JoeSchmoe]

Had this idea percolating in my brain for a while... Just thought I'd put it to paper here.

Instead of an All-star game, you turn it into an international ladder style "tournament". 4 games back to back all day with the international teams, starting in Europe, finishing in North America. Set it up so that there's hockey all day long. Matchups go:

1 plays 2

3 plays 4

5 plays 6

7 plays 8.

Win you move up a rung for next year, lose you move down. 8th team is hand selected by the league by some TBD criteria. Odd team plays at home. The risk is neither Canada or the US get a home game, so there could be a North American veto to ensure at least one game on home soil. Also, some of the smaller Euro teams might have to recruit a few players from outside the NHL, but NHL players get priority on the roster.

1st place team gets the Wayne Gretzky Trophy for being the league's all-time All-star and keeps home ice advantage in the championship game the next year. Picture a couple of silver 9's mounted on some Canadian maple... Possibly sourced from the Brantford homestead.

The skills competition could be held with a virtual connection between the 4 rinks on the day before the ladder.

The way I see it, the revenue potential is way up (quadruple), the player and fan interest would be way up, and getting Europe in on the NHL product would be a side benefit.

Thoughts?

Edited May 19, 2023 by JoeSchmoe

[PromoTheRobot]

IMO there's no point in fixing any sports All-Star game. It's an exhibition and mean nothing and heightened competition risks injury.

[JoeSchmoe]

8 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

IMO there's no point in fixing any sports All-Star game. It's an exhibition and mean nothing and heightened competition risks injury.

So you'd have zero interest in watching Canada vs US where the players are actually trying?

[PromoTheRobot]

8 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

So you'd have zero interest in watching Canada vs US where the players are actually trying?

Correct. How would you feel in a key Sabre got injured?

Edited May 19, 2023 by PromoTheRobot

[Eleven]

9 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

So you'd have zero interest in watching Canada vs US where the players are actually trying?

I'd have zero interest in watching Sabres players compete and get hurt in a meaningless mid-season tournament.

The Olympics would be nice.  That means something.

Your idea, while creative, is not something in which I would want NHL players involved.

Edited May 19, 2023 by Eleven

[JoeSchmoe]

Year 1 I'd set the following matchups based on timezones:

8am EST 5 vs 6 - Russia vs Czechia in Russia

11am EST 7 vs 8 - Slovakia vs Germany in Slovakia

2pm EST 3 vs 4 - Sweden vs Finland in Sweden

Primetime Canada vs US - in Canada 😉

 

3 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Correct. How would you feel in a key Sabre got injured?

I'd be willing to take that risk.

Eventually it would take on meaning much like soccer internationals do.

[PromoTheRobot]

2 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

I'd be willing to take that risk.

Eventually it would take on meaning much like soccer internationals do.

I don't agree. I'm kind of okay with offseason tournaments because there's time to recover from an injury. But mid-season? If it's not the Olympics, pass.

[North Buffalo]

Yeh not much for the game but like the skills competitions, then at least the guys are showing off.

[PerreaultForever]

The only thing that might make an all star game in any sport interesting to me would be if they had them play a different sport. 

The Hockey all star game could be a basketball game. The basketball all star game could be hockey. Baseball players could play football and vice versa. Mix and match. Now that might be fun. Otherwise, I skip the whole thing every year and wish it didn't exist. 

[French Collection]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

The only thing that might make an all star game in any sport interesting to me would be if they had them play a different sport. 

The Hockey all star game could be a basketball game. The basketball all star game could be hockey. Baseball players could play football and vice versa. Mix and match. Now that might be fun. Otherwise, I skip the whole thing every year and wish it didn't exist. 

I would rather watch them golf than play the all star game.

[PromoTheRobot]

Didn't the NHL do a World vs North America format once?

Edited May 19, 2023 by PromoTheRobot

[MattPie]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

The only thing that might make an all star game in any sport interesting to me would be if they had them play a different sport. 

The Hockey all star game could be a basketball game. The basketball all star game could be hockey. Baseball players could play football and vice versa. Mix and match. Now that might be fun. Otherwise, I skip the whole thing every year and wish it didn't exist. 

Legend has it the Leafs have an internal All-star golf tournament secheduled every year for late May.

50 minutes ago, French Collection said:

I would rather watch them golf than play the all star game.

I never want to watch anyone golf.

 

5 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Don't the NHL do a world vs North America format once?

Yes, they did. I can't remember if it was in the 90s or late-2000s, whenever it was I remember the Sabres being good. That narrows it down a lot.

[Weave]

The only thing I ever found interesting about all star weekend was the skills stuff, and the NHL even managed to remove the charm from that.

it seemed like the all star games during the Hasek era had more intensity.  At least among some opposing forwards trying to show up Hasek.  If we could get some of that sort of intensity back the game would be more interesting.

The current format with several mini games is just not compelling to me at all.

[Pimlach]

11 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Had this idea percolating in my brain for a while... Just thought I'd put it to paper here.

Instead of an All-star game, you turn it into an international ladder style "tournament". 4 games back to back all day with the international teams, starting in Europe, finishing in North America. Set it up so that there's hockey all day long. Matchups go:

1 plays 2

3 plays 4

5 plays 6

7 plays 8.

Win you move up a rung for next year, lose you move down. 8th team is hand selected by the league by some TBD criteria. Odd team plays at home. The risk is neither Canada or the US get a home game, so there could be a North American veto to ensure at least one game on home soil. Also, some of the smaller Euro teams might have to recruit a few players from outside the NHL, but NHL players get priority on the roster.

1st place team gets the Wayne Gretzky Trophy for being the league's all-time All-star and keeps home ice advantage in the championship game the next year. Picture a couple of silver 9's mounted on some Canadian maple... Possibly sourced from the Brantford homestead.

The skills competition could be held with a virtual connection between the 4 rinks on the day before the ladder.

The way I see it, the revenue potential is way up (quadruple), the player and fan interest would be way up, and getting Europe in on the NHL product would be a side benefit.

Thoughts?

The important part of the All Star break is to get some rest during an 82 game season (with an additional 4 rounds of playoffs on top of it). 

Competitive tournaments with travel do not do that.   The players union should say no to this. 

[Buffalonill]

There's no point of fixing the All Star game none of the players are gonna go out there and play their best and risk injury

[Sabel79]

Tapping the sign again: 

The All-Star Game is for children and schmoozing corporate partners.  That's all there is or should be to it.  

[JoeSchmoe]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

The important part of the All Star break is to get some rest during an 82 game season (with an additional 4 rounds of playoffs on top of it). 

Competitive tournaments with travel do not do that.   The players union should say no to this. 

Maybe I wasn't clear.

This is one game per team per year.

And realistically, it's not an all-star game anymore, but it's a chance to see your national team in action for one game. In effect, you've fixed the all-star game by not having it. It's an NHL backed international day of hockey instead.

Maybe most of the US based posters here don't have as much interest in this as Canadians, but here the ratings would be through the roof. 

Edited May 19, 2023 by JoeSchmoe

[JoeSchmoe]

2 hours ago, Sabel79 said:

Tapping the sign again: 

The All-Star Game is for children and schmoozing corporate partners.  That's all there is or should be to it.  

Tapping my first post.

It's not an All-star game anymore. You fixed the All-star game by doing something better instead. This would be must see hockey for all fans globally.

Maybe the lack of success of the US program makes watching their team a less attractive proposition as here in Canada. 😜🤣

[Sabel79]

6 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Tapping my first post.

It's not an All-star game anymore. You fixed the All-star game by doing something better instead. This would be must see hockey for all fans globally.

Maybe the lack of success of the US program makes watching their team a less attractive proposition as here in Canada. 😜🤣

[Sabel79]

If the IIHF, NHL and relevant Euro leagues would get their collective ***** together and come up with a realistic path forward for an actual world championship / world cup that means something, I'll listen.  Not holding my breath that'll ever happen.

Until that highly unlikely day arrives, we're merely casting pearls before swine already wearing lipstick, if you'll indulge my mangling of two very different (but relevant) idioms.

[steveoath]

Bring back the draft

[Taro T]

10 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Didn't the NHL do a World vs North America format once?

Thought they did that one 2 seasons.