New All-Star Roster Format

It's been reported all over the place but I haven't had a chance to mention it. The NHL is changing their All-Star Game roster format away from Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference and to two teams drafted by previously-selected team captains.

I like the schoolyard idea but don't think it works.

The problem with the ASG is not the teams. The problem is the hockey. It's worse than an exhibition game. No one tries all that hard and there's no way to make them try. These guys just want to have some fun and get out of it un-hurt. Changing the way the rosters are divided up doesn't change that.

It also adds in a couple problems, one for fans like me and one for the league itself.

The league begins selling ASG jerseys as soon as it can. Once the rosters are known they can slap player names on the jerseys and start raking in the money. But if you don't know what team a player will play for until the day before the game, you can't sell the jerseys until then. Now that'd save on some embarrassing situations like the Datsyuk and Lidstrom 2009 ASG jerseys that you can still find on sale but it comes at the cost of any presales.

The issue for me is a matter of who to root for. When the game is as boring as it is, I need a team to root for. As I said in the North America vs. The World days, with Red Wings on both sides I don't have a rooting interest. When it was conference vs. conference I could back the West (even if there were no Wings in the game, 'cause that's the team they would have been on) but this new format doesn't allow for that.

It's a superficial change that seems like it could be a little fun but I don't think it's really gonna make a difference. We'll see what happens in Raleigh.