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Reactions: All-star snubs Who's missing from the NHL All-Star teams?Posted: Monday January 31, 2000 06:44 PM
CNNSI.com asked users to tell us which NHL players were inappropriately snubbed from the All-Star teams. A sampling of representative responses follows:
Ray Whitney should be there with his 47 points at half way mark of the season he's on pace for at least 70 points. I also think that Jeff O'Neill should be at the All-Star game he is having a good year in Carolina. I feel Dominik Hasak should have been snubbed along with Tommy Salo. What about Roman Turek or Artus Irbe? They are both better. I think they should change how the All-Star teams are picked they should pick by whoever is having a great season up to the midway point. Like all the league leaders instead of it being a popularity contest because some people who really deserve to be there aren't because there not a fan favorite.
I think Roman Turek should be in the all-star game. He's had an outstanding season with the Blues in his first year there. His statistics prove he should be an all-star. I believe he is a major reason the Blues are doing so well this year. It just proves that all-star balloting is just a popularity contest and not voting on the "true" stars and top performers of the hockey season.
Anson Carter: He has been one of the only consistent players for the Bruins this season. I think he is quietly one of the better players in the league. He is usually good for at least a point a game.
Fred Brathwaite: The Flames season has turned around b/c of his stellar goaltending. Look at his numbers and that should tell you something.
Cliff Ronning: If this guy was putting the same numbers up on the Redwings, Flyers or the Avs no one would have snubbed him. Nashville the forgotten hockey town?????
I think that Richard Smehlik of the buffalo Sabres should have made the All-Star Team. He is the Sabres' most sound defenseman, and is becoming known as one of the best in the entire NHL. Guys like Chris Chelios and Rob Blake make the team just because they are fan favorites. Everybody knows that Richard Smehlik is better than all those defensemen that made the team this year. I only wish that the players that make the All-Star Team really deserve to be there. Richard Smehlik surely does. I just hope Richard can find strength to go on knowing that he has been unfairly treated in this All Star Voting.
Ed Belfour should have been voted into the game. He has kept the Stars in contention even with all of their exhausting injuries. He helped this club since Andy Moog left and will keep leading them for a while. He is an emotional leader and a key player in the Stars suffocating defense that lead them to the Stanley Cup. Belfour not getting in and Mike Richter getting in shows how the All Star Games really work. The best past wins no matter what.
How did Olaf Kolzig make the World team over Roman Turek. Turek has been one of the best goalies all season, and is near the top of virtually every statistical category for goalies. Not only that, but he has guided his team to second place in his conference. Why is it that Kolzig, whose team in total has fewer wins than Turek does individually, made the sqaud? Something needs to be changed in the selection format....
Dmitri Yushkevich is a great defenseman but was marred in a contract dispute early in the season. While he was gone, young Tomas Kaberle stepped his game up and became the workhorse behind the blueline. When Yushkevich returned, Kaberle got even better!! He's among the top ten scoring defenseman (I think) and he's been solid all season!!! I know Yushkevich did an unbelievable job with Jagr in the playoffs last season but the team should be made up of performances from the first half of this season!!!
Why is it that everone forgot about the Devils? Why wasn't Petr Sykora, Bobby Holik, and Patrik Elias given spots on the International team? How about Claude Lemiuex and Scott Niedermayer? The Devils was again got snubbed by the NHL, but what's new?
Once again, in an effort to lure the so-called casual fan, the NHL has ignored the heart-and soul of the league. How else could you rationalize the invitation of "big-names" such as Mark Messier and Mike Richter when there are players out there having far superior seasons, albeit in smaller markets, such as Fred Brathwaite and Cliff Ronning? The fans get a chance to vote for the starting lineup. That should be where the popularity contest ends. The rest of the rosters should be filled with players deserving of the title, "All-Star."
No way Dominik Hasek should be able to play in the All-Star game. I don't care if he was voted in or not. He hasn't played more than ten games all year and he thinks he can be the starter for the World All-Stars, he's out to lunch!
Brian Leetch most definitely should have made the All-Star game instead of Scott Stevens. Leetch is more of a complete player. Stevens is a great penalty killer and a leader, but Leetch is a power play quarterback, in addition to killing penalties. Leetch is more important to the Rangers than Stevens is to the Devils. Take Stevens off N.J. and they still win games, not so for the Rangers without Leetch. Ziggy Palffy should also be in the game. How anyone could miss him is beyond me.
Mattias Norstrom.... He is probably the most underrated blueliner in the game. Not known for his offensive game he is the most solid defensemen on the LA Kings. He has been partnered with Rob Blake for most of three years here, which has allowed Blake to take advantage and jump in on a ply on offense. He is also not known for taking stupid penalties and is one of the toughest players I have ever watched.
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