The Daily Faceoff Show: All-Star Game “snubs” don’t impact game’s value for NHL

A lot has been said about the NHL All-Star Game over the last few days.

Nazem Kadri didn’t get selected. Steven Stamkos didn’t get selected. Neither did Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand or Romani Josi.

Then again, the dialogue about how the NHL All-Star Game’s format requirement for every NHL team to be represented prevents several of the league’s better performs from being selected is hardly new.

Yet every year, the same arguments exist.

On Friday’s episode of The Daily Faceoff Show, Frank Seravalli said that this has the ability to obscure the All-Star Game’s value to the league. That while the format may result in less than competitive hockey, that the All-Star Game’s greatest value to the league is its impact on the league’s business.

That even if the games are often less than competitive, even if several of the league’s top performing players are “snubbed,” the value that the All-Star Game provides for the league, its teams and sponsors isn’t diminished.

Seravalli: “First thing is, there’s no such thing as snubs because no one cares about the All-Star Game. So let’s be honest about that. That’s the only real intrigue is who is actually going to make the team. You go through the process and it’s difficult.

“You look at the job hockey ops has to do here in order to fill out these teams positionally, including every team. Then people get into the argument, oh well, we don’t need to represent every team. This is a big weekend for NHL business. There are representatives from all 32 teams that go to Vegas. And it’s not just front office members, team presidents and executives, it’s big sponsors, big, important fans to their team business. That’s who fills out the building.”

You can watch the full episode here…