How the Toronto Maple Leafs and NHL Can Improve All-Star Events
By Jeff Borsuk
The Toronto Maple Leafs looked great this weekend at the NHL All-Star festivities. The events themselves, however, could use a little improvement.
The NHL has done a good job reinventing the All-Star Game over the years. This year’s skills competition included the Shooting Stars challenge. The Toronto Maple Leafs were represented on the ice at the festivities by Frederik Andersen and Mitch Marner.
Though Auston Matthews was voted in, a wrist injury kept him from participating. As much fun as it was to watch the Leafs players perform, they could still have made things more interesting.
The 3-on-3 tournament has been the most exciting iteration of an exhibition game that has taken on many forms over the years. The NHL keeps readjusting to make the game more watchable and the same is true about the skills competition.
There is no better evidence than this year’s addition of the Shooting Stars competition. It is a contest that looked like an in-arena golfing range using hockey pucks.
Marner finished as the runner-up to Patrick Kane in the inaugural running of the event. With the NHL trying to mix things up, there’s clearly room to get creative and ensure that all the festivities are gripping television.
The All-Star Game and its surrounding fanfare is never a time to take hockey seriously. From Owen Nolan calling his shot in the 1997 game to Alexander Ovechkin competing in the 2009 breakaway challenge with two sticks and a Canadian flag poking out of a hat, it’s been more about entertainment than anything else.
With this in mind, we put entertainment ahead of the hockey for our list. And with entertainment in mind, we break from the Josh Manson-Maple Leafs trade rumours to focus on improving the All-Star festivities.
Though Toronto Maple Leafs fans are conditioned to dislike the Boston Bruins and their players, it’s hard not to recognize David Pastrnak’s stellar All-Star Game MVP performance. As such, In recognition of #88’s great night at the rink, we have compiled our top eight ridiculous suggestions to ensure that future All-Star festivities become a must-watch.