Ovechkin stepping out of the All-Star game

[2014olympicgold]

Way to pull a "Crosby All-star skip" Ovechkin, only one player can consistently sit them out and never be called out on it!

For the record Wheeler should be there 1000000x more than both Toews and Neal. Also Crawford should be in over Pekka "I've played 10 good games all season" Rinne. But yeah it's in Nashville and they want to continue to create fans and a bigger market there.

I thought this was the first time Ovi missed the ASG after being put into it?

Tavares has been named the Metro Captain too.

[Big Ev]

Crosby should have made it over Kuznetsov. Nobody in Nashville will know who Kuznetsov is.

[RizzeeDizzee]

Crosby should have made it over Kuznetsov. Nobody in Nashville will know who Kuznetsov is.

Crosby is already a star, and the ASG is as much - if not more - about trying to mint new stars as it is showcasing those who already are household names. I'm already drooling about what Kuznetsov will do in the skills competition, not to mention the actual game; and what he brings to the table in this environment arguably has a better chance at "going viral" than Crosby's more reversed excellence.

The time that the NHL would really want Crosby on full display is in the playoffs, when casual fans need to recognize names in order to tune in to watch games which, for all but two states, will not feature their hometown players.

[rtstr]

Is this suspension for missing the ASG a new thing or do I just not remember it from year's past?

I find that freakin ridiculous!! Why suspend players for missing the ASG? It's almost as big of a joke as the Pro Bowl for god sakes. How can the NHL pretend it's even remotely pertinent when the worst player in the league got the most votes? And why would the ASG be mandatory for those named to it? The NHL nowadays, I swear.....

[rataylor22]

Crosby should have made it over Kuznetsov. Nobody in Nashville will know who Kuznetsov is.

Crosby is already a star, and the ASG is as much - if not more - about trying to mint new stars as it is showcasing those who already are household names. I'm already drooling about what Kuznetsov will do in the skills competition, not to mention the actual game; and what he brings to the table in this environment arguably has a better chance at "going viral" than Crosby's more reversed excellence.

The time that the NHL would really want Crosby on full display is in the playoffs, when casual fans need to recognize names in order to tune in to watch games which, for all but two states, will not feature their hometown players.

Throw me firmly in the camp that says Crosby quietly requested to not be part of the ASG, and the league allowed it. He probably informed them he wouldn't go if selected, but would rather not have to miss an extra game just to not go. Given how much media work he does for the NHL, I would think it's well within his rights to not want to go. He already goes above and beyond in fulfilling his league PR obligations.

Is this suspension for missing the ASG a new thing or do I just not remember it from year's past?

I find that freakin ridiculous!! Why suspend players for missing the ASG? It's almost as big of a joke as the Pro Bowl for god sakes. How can the NHL pretend it's even remotely pertinent when the worst player in the league got the most votes? And why would the ASG be mandatory for those named to it? The NHL nowadays, I swear.....

It was implemented in 2008 after Lidstrom skipped in 2007. It's not really so much a "suspension" as it is the league saying "if you're too injured to play in the ASG then that means you're too inured to play in your teams first game back". I don't think it's a terrible thing, nor do I think it's a bad thing for players to accept that punishment and skip. I'm not even sure players lose a game check salary for the "suspension".

[kovalchuk17]

wheeler passed on an invite after toews bowed out apparently.

nonetheless, worth it for ovechkin and the capitals.

[Dobber]

Crosby did it right. Rather than face a suspension, he just played like crap for 35 games to make sure he didn't get an invite. And now he's free to try hard again

[2014olympicgold]

The Pro-Bowl has come to a fork in the road where it is practically a “young guns” game where it’s all the young guys who have never been who are going now. Maybe the NHL should start more of a younger talent oriented approach.

Young, high skilled guys are the forefront of the ones brought in. Mac, Tarasenko, Kuzy, Larkin, Gibson, Hall, Rielly, and Domi idea. No age restriction, but try and make it more of building up young guys popularity vs showcasing your already famous talent (Toews, Ovi, Crosby).

If you invite someone who’s never been (or been to 1 or 2), he’s still excited about the whole thing and for the most part, they don’t have that nagging year long injury.