This might be my hottest take yet, but I’m beginning to like the All-Star Game and weekend. The 3v3 tournament style All-Star Game is actually fun. I think it’s significantly better than playing a lifeless 5v5 game and really showcases the high-end talent that the NHL’s best players possess.
It’s enjoyable. It really is.
Connor McDavid was Edmonton’s representative and Captain of team Pacific. He was brilliant in the 3v3 format but he will be forever linked to the skills competition. McDavid became the first ever player to win the fastest skater competition in back-to-back seasons.
In fact, the day of the event there were reports that the NHL was having a hard time filling out the fastest skater competition because nobody thought they could beat 97. Well, the players were right and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen NHL players give up when McDavid hits full stride.
Gary Bettman made some interesting comments to Ron Maclean about Calgary’s stadium and the possible future Olympic bid. I think Ron held his own in that back and forth by pointing out the differences in Edmonton and Calgary’s economic and revitalization situations. Edmonton’s downtown had been neglected for decades by local government and industry. Katz’ arena was only part 1 of a multi-pronged approach to adding Billions into redeveloping downtown and there was room for new forms of revenue. Calgary’s downtown does not need that same thing and that gives the city less incentive to pay for a new arena.
However, in contrast to the obvious politics and ham-fisted passive aggression with which Bettman addressed Calgary’s arena, he made a lot of sense discussing review calls and the issue of the offside rule. He essentially boiled it down to the fact that the reviews were meant to call back egregious errors.
The Goalie Interference challenge was not meant to scrub every millisecond of video to determine if a goalie was touched by an opposition player. It was designed to allow the official to make sure that what he saw on the ice was accurate. If the call on the ice was a goal then they would need to see obvious proof that a goalie was not simply touched, but actually interfered with. Conversely, if the call was no goal but replay shows that the goalie’s own teammate had interfered and NOT the other team, then the call could be a goal.
It's a frame of mind that the referees have to believe what they saw was accurate the first time. Of course, the problem is that this goes both ways. Can we trust a referee to overturn his own bad call? Should the War-Room have the right to overturn a Referee who saw it happen live?
No matter what happens, nobody will get it right 100% of the time, but I’m with Bettman in that the Refs need to stop overthinking these things. ***
One last item, the NHL unveiled the plan for Edmonton to open the season in Europe next year.
Edmonton will play an exhibition game in Germany, presumably against a local German team. Quick Note: Leon Draisaitl’s Dad is Head Coach for the Cologne Sharks. Then they will play the New Jersey Devils in Sweden to open the regular season.
The Oilers will not lose a Home game out of this arrangement. The game will count as a Home game for the Devils. The Devils, meanwhile, will end their pre-season by playing in Switzerland, where Nico Hischier calls home.
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