To 3-on-3, or to not 3-on-3?
In this week’s 30 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman explored some ideas on how to inject some life into the NHL All-Star Game.
The league has made some changes in the past few years, including implementing a televised fantasy draft, to generate more interest in the weekend. It’s worked to a degree.
Friedman touched on the idea of changing the format of the game to a 3-on-3 tournament, rather than a typical game of hockey. He noted that it’s unlikely teams would support such a drastic change.
Instead, he floated the prospect of using the game to test larger nets.
With change as a theme, here are five potential methods for improving the NHL’s All-Star weekend.
Step outside
Hardly a new suggestion, but one worth discussing further. Make the All-Star Game an outdoor game.
The NHL has fully embraced the Winter Classic and the Stadium Series in recent years. There will be three outdoor games during the 2015-16 season.
Like we’ve mentioned here before:
The Winter Classic is a meaningful regular season game played in generally lousy conditions.
The NHL All-Star Game is a meaningless exhibition played in a standard arena.
A marriage of these spectacles might be the answer.
A 3-on-3 tournament
Short of the handful of players who have voiced their displeasure over the NHL’s new tie-breaking format, who is not enjoying the splendidly chaotic entertainment provided by 3-on-3 overtime?
Friedman touched on a very good point in this week’s 30 Thoughts re: moving the All-Star Game to a 3-on-3 tournament format. It’s not quite the relaxing pond hockey atmosphere players are accustomed to.
Teams aren’t likely to be thrilled by the prospect of their stars working at the feverish pace 3-on-3 has proven to be thus far over the course of a weekend tournament.
Still, there is hope.
So maybe a 3-on-3 tournament doesn’t work as a replacement for the actual All-Star Game…but there is the YoungStars Game that ran from 2002-09.
Have four teams, one representing each division, compete in short games consisting of three five-minute periods. Allow each team to dress two lines and a goaltender (let’s say keep it under-25). Run a simple single elimination bracket. Who says no?
Open up the Skills Competition
One thing the NBA really does well with its All-Star weekend is allow players not selected for the actual All-Star Game to compete in its skills challenge, three-point contest, and slam dunk contest.
Sure, it’s fun to watch Phil Kessel and Tyler Seguin compete against each other in the fastest skater competition, but how would players like Andrew Cogliano, Michael Grabner, Carl Hagelin, and Darren Helm fare when matched up with some of the game’s biggest stars?
The NBA even allowed Craig Hodges to compete in the 1993 three-point contest when he was a free agent. He won.
A testing ground for larger nets
There would surely be some push back on this one, and you want to ensure the safety of participating goaltenders, but Friedman’s suggestion to use the All-Star Game as testing ground for larger nets is on point.
It makes a meaningless game a meaningful experiment. The player draft is great, even if the alcohol consumption terrifies the league. The skills competition is tremendous, especially as the competitors get more and more creative. But, the game is a bore, which is why the NHL is absolutely right to search for a solution.
This is a perfect opportunity. People will want to watch. How much harder is it for Henrik Lundqvist or Carey Price or Pekka Rinne to stop a puck? How much more shooting room is there for Alex Ovechkin or Steven Stamkos or Shea Weber?
What’s not to like about the potential of setting the hockey world abuzz over the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of bigger nets rather than watching your favourite players catch a buzz on live television for two hours on Friday night?
Bring on the old-timers
Former NHL superstar Pavel Bure was noted to be kicking tires on a potential legends’ league this past summer.
The prospect of catching former greats like Bure, Scott Niedermayer, Sergei Fedorov, Joe Sakic, Dominik Hasek, Nicklas Lidstrom, Rob Blake, and Teemu Selanne taking to the ice in an exhibition game would do well to serve the nostalgia set.
You could have some fun with the format, too. North America versus the world would be the simplest option. Although, a boozy fantasy draft format could work if you can supply the old fellas with enough Pimm’s.
