We’re now in the aftermath of NHL All Star Weekend, the first one since 2012. There are some curious items washing up as the game fades into memory. In the lead-up there were questions about the existence of many things All Star. The Bleacher Report reflected on the (purported) lack of star power and questioned if the event was useful. The Sporting News worried in advance of the Fantasy Draft, concerned that particular absent players and conservative league picks would ruin the mood. The LA Times bemoaned the loss of the game’s moral history.
Sounds like a pretty terrible event, right? Why even bother?
That lack of apparent national relevance may be the core of why the All Star Game means so much. The key is to change the scope and consider the real audience. The All Star Game is not for you… unless you live in the host market.
Take a step back and consider the history of All Star Game locations. Of the past 30 Games, only 2 host teams appear as repeats (Los Angeles in 1981 and 2002, Montreal in 1993 and 2009). This list ranges back to 1978 (thanks to lockouts and international tournaments). The implication? An All Star Game is a once-in-a-generation event for most clubs.
To that end, the All Star Game is a novelty to the target audience. For you and me, the crazy hockey fans reading blogs and tweeting the minute details? A slowed-down, no-defense game isn’t necessarily a draw. For the local fan, getting a chance to see some of the biggest names in hockey all in their home arena? It’s something they might not see again in 30 years. And it’s fun. 29 goals is a silly representation of skill. Seeing that in person, watching John Tavares and Ryan Johansen wire the puck? What’s there to hate?
The broader All Star weekend with Fan Fair and Skills Competition makes the experience all the more vital. And of course, the details are the things not fully captured as the Game airs on television. Hardcore fans will count down the hours until meaningful puck drop. Locals hang on to the moments that build the event.
This is for the kids with just-too-large jerseys and even wider eyes as they meet Nick Foligno in an autograph session. It’s for the young couple holding hands through knit mittens as they take a spin on the outdoor rink. It’s for the parents readying graham crackers as s’mores are toasted by little hands in the Winter Park. It’s for the grinning Ohio resident that will never visit Toronto, finally getting her chance to see the Hall of Fame trophies (but especially the Stanley Cup). It’s for the Buckeye Football faithful, bridging the gap between sports.
Next year, the same national refrains will sound around Nashville as the All Star Game finds a brand new home. And yet just as it was in Columbus, the sporting experience is not a broken one, not to the fresh eyes enjoying the spectacle. In the end, the All Star Game is about sharing the joy of hockey, one city at a time.
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