With the Olympics in the rearview and the NHL underway again, we are heading into the last push of NHL hockey. However, everyone seemed to have fallen in love with international hockey, moreso the Canada/USA rivalry, but the last two years have shown an appetite for it. So, I present to all of you my four-year rotation of the All-Star Game and international hockey that the NHL can do every February to add some spice to the mid-season malaise.
Now the odds of this happening are as real as Bettman retiring, but we can still have fun with the prospect. Also, this is really based on the fact that NHL players will still be able to go to the Olympics in future years. With that out of the way, let's get into it.
Year One: Traditional NHL All-Star Game
First, right off the bat, it is time to bring back the 5-on-5 East vs. West all-star game. Now I understand the league is fully committed to 3-on-3, and we will get to that. But to spice things up, it is time for an old-school 5-on-5 game. You can have the usual voting (Online or otherwise) and have the coaches pick the captains, etc. Now, for the coaches, you can use last year's Stanley Cup Final Coaches, or whoever has the best record in each conference by February 1st. Also, has this been in an Original 6 or a Second 6 city to give the event some history and tradition? Have it in Canada, say Toronto or Montreal, Vancouver, and so on.
Year Two: 4 Nations Face-Off or World Cup of Hockey
The 4 Nations Face-off last year proved that this event can work, but let's not overdo it with an every-year thing. So we do this in a Summer Olympic year and get USA, Canada, and a Rotation of Finland, Sweden, Czechia, and that country. Now I know things are tense with that country, but here is your way around it: just give them a blank jersey with the NHL logo on it and blue numbers and letters on the back, done. Turn this into a 2-week mini tournament hosted in the US, Canada, or both. Qualify the 4 non-NA teams to get into the 4 nations, then a quick round robin, and then the finals between the 2 best teams. Plus, this can be a mini-audition for the Olympic team in 2 years.
Year Three: 3-on-3 All-Star Tournament
Okay, here is where we get a bit more modern. I know the NHL is addicted to 3-on-3, so let's give it a year. Now, for the All-Star selection, remember back in the 2010s when there were Captains selected for the ASG, and then they chose the roster like a pickup game. Let's bring that back! But this time, the time is not Team Division; it is Team Captain's Name. Imagine, Team McDavid vs Team Mackinnon or Team Matthews or Team Crosby or Ovi. Also, let's go full ham with these: do a big presentation, guys come out like pro wrestlers, and on Friday Night, the Captains pick the teams in the Arena before a live crowd. Then, on your own, have the Game on Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, and during intermission, do what the ECHL does: have the skills competition as intermission entertainment.
Year Four: Olympics
Pretty self-explanatory here: this gives us a year off from the All-Star games and lets the Olympics take center stage. Now, what you can do is, a few days before the opening ceremonies, do an Olympics send-off, gather the players, and do a big celebration. Announce the USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, and other selections for one last goodbye to the NHL fans before they depart overseas. Would it be cheesy? Of course it is, but gets that sweet revenge for one last event before the NHL shuts off for 2 and a half weeks.
And that is my All-Star rotation selections. Now, get out there and enjoy hockey!