All Star Break

I will not lie.  I was not looking forward to this weekend.

Six days without Penguins hockey pushes me to the limit.  No football on top of that, and Hollie is not a happy girl.

As much as I love hockey, I haven't been a fan of the All Star Game in the past.   North America vs. the World. East vs. West.  I just never identified with it much.

But when I heard about the change in format this year, it peaked my interest.

The drafting of teams by the players themselves--that's as classic as it gets.  It takes me right back to Saturday morning pick up games, makeshift lineups depending on what players could make it, and playing for the fun of the game.

What I remember from those days was not an attempt to stack teams but to make them as even as possible.  Playing without any true start or end.  Making the long outlet pass or watching someone else lay out the goalie with a nice backhand shot.

I could tell that the players were feeling this same transport back to those less formal days as the draft proceeded.  It became apparent as Captain Staal chose his own NHL team's goalie, his brother, his rookie benchmate and his hometown boy.  Even though talent mattered, so did loyalty and camaraderie.  In a time when teams are pushing for the playoffs, it must be relieving to play a game where the consequence is bragging rights and enjoyment is everything.

My brothers still play in a roller hockey league, but I haven't picked up a stick in years.  What worries me about my upcoming return to Pennsylvania is that all my old teammates have grown up and left town.  That the ones still there might not invite me to play anymore.  That I'll continue my love of the game vicariously through my siblings, maybe through my children, and through the Penguins.

Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang will represent the Penguins tomorrow in the All Star Game on opposing teams, but from their joking, I don't think they'll mind.  The format change made this separation, and some otherwise unlikely pairings, possible.

As I shared my excitement with my husband, George reminded me that this, combined with the annual Winter Classic, show how forward-thinking the NHL and this sport can be.

He's right; hockey evokes the game's roots, shows its relevance in the present, and secures its continuation into the future.  And I'm sure there are other fans, like me, that thought about passing it up, but now have a renewed energy and will be watching to see how it all plays out.