Quote:
Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan
I don't know, he's speaking as a fan. I think Kelly was the one that was out to lunch there, tbh.
|
In Hrudey's era, it really WAS an honour to be selected (key word) to the All-Star game. In the 80s, for example, the Flames and Oilers each had multiple players on the Campbell Conference, in various years. This was because these selections really WERE the BEST players. And, to some extent, the games themselves actually seemed to matter to the players.
But that changed in the 90s. The All-Star game went from a representation of the NHL's best to a tool by which the NHL could further market the game in the US. Eventually, EVERY team HAD to be represented (Petr Buzek, anyone?!?) which changed the focus from "best of the best" to "try to ensure we get fans from every market interested".
The marketing side isn't a problem, per se, but the game itself has become a snoozefest as a result of the changes--i.e. no longer "best on best". Because player selection is now open to fan voting, it's hard to see the "honour" that Hrudey speaks of anymore; the game's become a massive advertisement and not what Hrudey would have known it to be. And even then, that's not necessarily a "bad" thing--but it helps to explain why guys like Hrudey would hold that opinion.