The city of Ottawa welcomed hockey players and hockey fans from around the world this past weekend and whether you were there in person or watched the events on television, the league’s stars put on quite a show! There was however, plenty of discussion amongst the fans and the media covering the All-Star festivities about two stars that were not in attendance.
Sidney Crosby continues to recover from an injury that has kept him out of the Penguins lineup for the better part of a year, while Alex Ovechkin opted out of the event after receiving a three-game suspension for an on-ice incident before the break. It would have been great to see these two stars in action, but their absence should not have been the top story as it was on some media outlets.
The 2012 All-Star weekend proved without a doubt that as far as elite level, world-class talent goes – there is no shortage of stars in the NHL. When you go down the list of the players that were in attendance – Malkin, Kane, Stamkos, Tavares, Kessel, Neal and Giroux to name just a few, it is clear that the NHL will have an abundance of star power for years to come.
New York Rangers forward Marian Gaborik led the way and dazzled the crowd by scoring a hat trick and adding a third period assist to earn the game’s MVP honours. Pavel Datsyuk, the first overall pick in the fantasy draft, picked up three assists for Team Chara, while the captain himself, Big Z, finished the game with a goal and was a +7. Chara also showed a great sense of humour during the game – faking a slapshot a day after breaking his own record in the Skills Competition with a 108.8 mph blast in the hardest shot challenge.
For Team Alfredsson, the line combination of Henrik and Daniel Sedin playing alongside Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson was an instant hit with the fans. The chemistry of the trio was immediately evident and if the Senators were out of a playoff position, Monday’s headlines would have certainly been dominated by “Alfredsson to Vancouver” trade rumours. Luckily for Ottawa fans, their beloved captain is not going anywhere and in fact, spoke openly about returning to the NHL next season to play the final year of his current contract.
As much as this weekend was about the league’s top stars, the spotlight shone brightly on Alfredsson as the Senators hosted the event as part of their 20th anniversary season. Voted in by the fans to the starting lineup, the All-Star festivities provided an opportunity for the fans in the nation’s capital to say thank you to the man that has captained their team for twelve seasons. The cheers and chants of “Alfie, Alfie, Alfie” that thundered throughout Scotiabank Place when Alfredsson scored his first of two goals in the game was astounding. Personally, I have never experienced a moment like that in the arena – it was a moment that those in attendance will surely never forget.
Fellow Senator and All-Star, Jason Spezza, discussed the outpouring of support for his friend and teammate with the Ottawa Sun.
“As a teammate, we appreciate him and we understand what he has done in our locker room, but for him to be on the national stage and for people to give him the recognition he deserves is something we really enjoyed seeing.”
With the All-Star festivities concluded, the focus now shifts to the NHL’s trade deadline, the final thirty games of the season and the battle for playoff positions. Before we close the book on the 2012 All-Star weekend though – Congratulations Ottawa on a job well done – you set the bar very high for future All-Star weekends!
Andrew Rodger
Andrew Rodger is the resident writer for the NHL Alumni Association (www.nhlalumni.net), operates his own website (The Voice of Sport.com) and he is a contributor on CBC News Now. You can also follow him on Twitter (@ARodgerTVOS). He shares his thoughts from inside the NHL Alumni Association and from around today’s NHL every Wednesday here at blog.xhockeyproducts.com.
