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2007 NHL All Star Game
Eastern Conference All Stars vs. Western Conference All Stars
Live from The American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
In 1080i HDTV & DD2.0, in the US on Versus & in Canada on the CBC
8pm ET
Eastern Conference All Stars vs. Western Conference All Stars
Live from The American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
In 1080i HDTV & DD2.0, in the US on Versus & in Canada on the CBC
8pm ET
Quote:
DALLAS -- Few will argue that the future is now for the NHL as a new crop of young, exciting players takes on larger and larger roles in the League.
That's never more apparent than by looking at the rosters for tonight's 2007 NHL All-Star Game (8 p.m. ET, Versus, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio), where scores of first-time All-Stars are mirroring the youth movement that has taken the NHL by storm.
Front and center, of course, are Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, two of the most dynamic players to enter the NHL in years. But Crosby and Ovechkin aren't alone, not by any stretch.
"I think we have a strong group of players," Crosby said, pointing to the likes of Calgary's Dion Phaneuf, Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, New Jersey's Zach Parise, Nashville's Alex Radulov and Shea Weber, the Kings' Anze Kopitar and Boston's Phil Kessel. "We're able to show what the league's capable of. I don't think it's up to one or two guys. I think there's a group of guys and I think we have to take it upon ourselves to be good role models and bring interest to the game.
"But for the most part it's going to be our on-ice performance that does that," Crosby said. "So the focus has to be on playing, but at the same time you want to bring the fans and the interest. We all love to play. We want to see other people have that same experience when they see games."
The All-Star coaches also realize their jobs will be different because of the infusion of talent to their respective NHL clubs.
"Obviously the landscape of the NHL has changed in the past two years and it's vitally important for your group to have the skill level and the skill level that's being afforded from the junior level and from the colleges, it might be at an all-time high," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. "But I think a lot of it has to do with the amount of dollars being spent. You need these young players, skilled young players to make a contribution to your lineup to have success with the parity that's now taking place in the league and the amount of dollars that are spread out. It's a tougher job for your general manager and your scouting staff to provide you with the highest skilled players."
"I think a lot of young talent has taken over from the standpoint of the young talent that's in Pittsburgh and basically the young talent that's around the league," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "Tremendous young talent. And, you know, a lot of these players are first-, second-year players that have shown they're real players in this league. I think you saw the change-over from post lockout, where speed and skill kills. These players have dominated the game and have made the game exciting. Have made it a lot more dramatic than it was in the past."
"The game will keep evolving as we keep going further," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "You look at the young players, the Crosbys and the Malkins and Ovechkins, they're going to evolve this game to a higher level and different level and the coaches will be doing different things than we are right now."
