'There is no worst part'
The best and worst of being an NHL All-Star
Posted: Monday January 25, 1999 04:40 PM
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Give me a break: Peter Forsberg likes the competition, but he would appreciate some time off Jeff Vinnick/Allsport |
During All-Star activities at Tampa's Ice Palace, CNN/SI asked several former and current NHL stars for their favorite and least-favorite aspects of All-Star participation:
Hall of Famer Stan Mikita: "The best part is having [the All-Star] somewhere warm where you can play golf in the morning and skate in the afternoon. The worst part is putting on the skates -- and trying to bend over to lace them."
Hall of Famer Gordie Howe: "The best part is playing with my family [sons Marty and Mark, both ex-NHLers]. I don't know that there is a worst."
Former Lightning coach Terry Crisp: "The best part is the social events -- getting the clan all together again. You get to see guys' families -- every year the kids are a little older and a little taller. You see some guys you played with now, and their kids are 14 and 15 years old. Wow! There is no worst part -- no."
Anaheim's Teemu Selanne: "The warm weather. Oh -- you mean in general. You know you have done something right to get here ... the tough part is all the activities, and the busy schedule, and the five-hour flight [to Tampa]."
Calgary's Theo Fleury: "The best part is just being asked to play, and being around these guys and in the locker room with them. We'd all enjoy a little more rest, but I don't think there's a bad part."
Montreal's Mark Recchi: "The best is just being here, mostly because you're with the guys. The worst is being with the guys, because you don't get any rest -- and no, I'm not telling you why."
Boston's Ray Bourque: "Early on, the best thing about playing in these things was more just being there, and knowing you'd earned the right to be there. Now, it's still being here, but I enjoy it even more because my kids enjoy it so much. The worst part is doing all the interviews and other things."
Colorado's Peter Forsberg: "Being with all the other players and getting to play against the best in the world. The worst is that the other players get a break. Some guys take off for Las Vegas, and do stuff like that. But it's not work [being an All-Star]."
Toronto's Mats Sundin: "The best part is if it's warm. Really, it's just a great weekend, being around all these other guys. There's nothing really bad about it. You get your rest."
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