‘DSC_7711’
courtesy of ‘bhrome’
Fan voting for the NHL All-Star game this year opened yesterday. Three Caps players are on the list for fans to select from: Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Ovechkin, and Mike Green. Shockingly, Alexander Semin is missing from the list, a mistake of great proportions. Semin currently ranks second in the league in goals (13) and fourth in points (23) and leads the Caps in goals scored. He was also named one of the NHL’s three stars of last week. It’s a little puzzling, considering there are other less-than-stellar players on the ballot this year. (We’re looking at you, Ilya Kovalchuk…)
This year’s All-Star game will have a different format, featuring an “All-Star Fantasy Draft” where the captains for each side will select from a pool of players chosen by fan balloting and the NHL. Captains will be chosen by the final group of 42 players selected for the All-Star game. (Even odds it’ll be “Ovechkin vs. Crosby.” I’m just sayin’.)
Another notable Caps name missing from the fan ballot is rookie netminder Michal Neuvirth. Tied for the league lead in wins (11), Neuvirth has posted a respectable 2.60 GAA and .910 Save Percentage through 16 games played. Hopefully the league will wise up and allot one of the All-Star slots to the Caps’ latest standout – provided he remains healthy and on top of his game. But it wouldn’t hurt if Caps fans started a write-in campaign to get Neuvirth some votes…
So what say we start a write-in campaign for Alexander Semin?
Having lived in the DC area for ten years, Ben still loves to wander the city with his wife, shooting lots of photos and exploring all the latest exhibits and galleries. A certified hockey fanatic, he spends some time debating the Washington Capitals club with friends – but everyone knows of his three decade love affair with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
A professional writer, gamer, photographer, and Lego enthusiast, Ben remains captivated by DC and doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.
Silly Ben. Even those we saw him a bunch last year, Neuvirth’s still a rookie. Check the lists of players again. I’m 99% certain there’s not a single rookie on that list. Why is that? Because the NHL said they will pick 12 rookies to be a part of the All Star Weekend. After all the non-rookie players are picked, then the two captains will pick from the 12 rookies to fill out their teams.
If anyone’s gonna get mad about those lists, it should be about Semin being left off. Especially since the Blackhawks got 6 players, the Red Wings, Flyers, and Sharks each got 5 players. And the Ducks, Bruins, Kings, Penguins, Maple Leafs, and Canucks each got 4 players.
Dear goodness. I completely forgot about the NHL’s Rookie selection. Yeesh. (Corrected. Thanks to Elliotte for pointing out my brain-dead dumbness here.)
I’m still flummoxed as to just why Semin was left off the list; you can’t even say he had a bad year last year and thus, isn’t warranting inclusion. It is, frankly, another example of the weird obtuseness that goes on in Toronto; how else can one explain the presence of Mark Streit and Craig Anderson, two players out with long-term injuries? The disparity between team selection is just mind-boggling.
It’s really just indicative of how lame and useless the NHL’s ASG really is.
Semin write-in Campaign is well under way – #WriteInSemin :)
I think a lot of people either forgot that Neuvy’s a rookie or that they’re leaving rookies off that list. Theoretically, you could write-in a rookie, I didn’t see anything against it and it will let you type in the name, but I’m pretty sure he’ll be one of the rookies selected.
One other thing, that list has 100 players on it, but only 42 of them (plus the write-ins) will actually make the all-star teams/weekend. 12 rookies will be added in addition to the 42 selected players for a total of 54 making the all-star game/weekend events.
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