OT: 2016 NHL All Star Game in Nashville

[Nashvol]

I know I'm prejudiced since I live here, but the NHL Fanfest, skills competition and All Star game were some of the coolest events I have ever attended. And Smashville put on a great show IMO...

[Kurri17]

Glad to hear Nashville did it well. Three hours west of there and obviously want to see hockey stay strong and grow. We're Blues fans and will be there Tuesday, be nice to us.

And, sorry, but I just can help myself. I think 3-on-3 OT (and thus this year's AS Game) is a joke. You don't see the NFL going 7-on-7 in OT, you don't see the NBA going 3-on-3. I don't get it. It's like deciding a basketball game with a slam dunk contest, it is not the true game. But, like other things (the division and conference names), Bettman treats hockey fans as if they are all seven years old and have to be entertained with gimmicks. And, yes, as logically follows, I don't like the shootout either, its just not hockey. Sorry, my wife doesn't care to hear me rant about it, so I just fired away here.

[Writehooks]

Well said, Rob. IMHO Bettman has dragged the NHL downhill ever since he took over as commissioner. His "vision" has changed the very nature of the game by trying to attract new fans in non-traditional markets, and it's been a miserable failure. Here in the Great White North, viewers are abandoning the iconclastic "Hockey Night In Canada" in droves because the game is no longer the one we grew up with ... the closest thing we had to a national religion. The shootout, 3-on-3 All-Star game, the second referee, idiotic rule changes ... the list goes on and on. I was a hardcore fan for 50 years, but now I find it almost impossible to watch a game all the way through.

[Kurri17]

Well said, Rob. IMHO Bettman has dragged the NHL downhill ever since he took over as commissioner. His "vision" has changed the very nature of the game by trying to attract new fans in non-traditional markets, and it's been a miserable failure. Here in the Great White North, viewers are abandoning the iconclastic "Hockey Night In Canada" in droves because the game is no longer the one we grew up with ... the closest thing we had to a national religion. The shootout, 3-on-3 All-Star game, the second referee, idiotic rule changes ... the list goes on and on. I was a hardcore fan for 50 years, but now I find it almost impossible to watch a game all the way through.

Glad to see I'm not the only one. Discarding the history of any game is a recipe for failure in the long run. It must be bad when Canadians are turning away from the game.

Sorry if we hijacked the thread a bit "Nashvol".

[irv]

And Bettman just signed a 6 yr extension.:mad:

Guess the owners think he is doing a good job still?
http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/14685078/gary-bettman-previously-signed-six-year-extension-remain-nhl-commissioner-2022

[irv]

I know I'm prejudiced since I live here, but the NHL Fanfest, skills competition and All Star game were some of the coolest events I have ever attended. And Smashville put on a great show IMO...

Heard it was really good.

Say hi to James Neal for me, he is my wife's cousin. :)

[epike3]

3-on-3 beats the shoot out. just my opinion. but get rid of the point for losing in OT!