The National Hockey League’s All-Star Fantasy Draft 2011 lives up to its expectations this year
The NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft 2011 certainly lived up to its expectations this year as we found that the new system introduced for the roster selection is actually a way to create a team of different and unique players.
Earlier the draft was only objected to see the Western side and Eastern side go at it but now it’s a whole different framework.
The two captains that were chosen selected those who were either their friends or those who were known to be the best.
Selecting friends was the main priority of the captains as it would have been for anyone in their position. Having a team full of friends and playing professional hockey on top the NHL All-Star game, what else would you need from life?
Last night as the NHL ASG Fantasy Draft took place, one thing clearly noticeable was that compared to the past drafts and games we have seen, the NHL and all other stakeholders involved really tried this time to make this a TV, NHL fan friendly event.
Involving humour and other content really improved the entertainment level from what was generally expected.
Eric Staal and Nicklas Lidstrom, the selected captains of the two All-Star teams, became Team Staal and Team Lidstrom.
Both captains did a good job creating the All-Star teams. After the flipping of the inaugural hockey puck, Eric Staal was awarded with the first pick.
Staal has showed that he can be a smart captain when realising that in order to get the favour of the crowd of Carolina, players of Carolina Hurricanes need to be picked.
In his first pick, he chose teammate, Cam Ward but after that he continued on loading up his team with Hurricanes’ players, selecting rookie, Jeff Skinner, and his brother, Marc, of New York Rangers.
Lidstrom, on the other hand, picked the scoring leader of the NHL, Steven Stamkos, as his first selection, and grabbed one of the Sedin twins immediately after Staal drafted Daniel Sedin.
Both twins who are a part of Vancouver Canucks will be playing on different sides for the first time.
"I think it's good that they have to face each other", said Lidstrom on his selection.
It’s a match full of players that might have a change of heart.
The Sedin twins are not the only ones who have to play on opposite sides for the first time, but teammates of Philadelphia Flyers, Claude Giroux and Danny Brier, will also be playing against each other.
If each of the pairs is given a go at the puck in an isolated corner, it’ll be sure of a fun moment for fans, seeing what happens as they go head to head with each other.
Although the All-Star game is meant to be and always has been a lighthearted and fun game for the players and the fans, we can surely expect to see a fierce competition between both sides as the conference difference has vanished and is now all about the
team respect.
Nevertheless Staal can expect fan favouritism as he himself is a Hurricanes’ player and has two more on his side.
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