The two faces of the NHL, Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, will not take part in the 2012 All-Star Game in Ottawa on Sunday, but that is not a bad scenario for the league. In fact, it's a great thing for the sport.

Crosby is still battling concussion symptoms and hasn't played for the Pittsburgh Penguins since Dec. 5.

Ovechkin said via the Washington Post, "I feel I’m not deserving to be there right now. I got suspended."

The Washington Capitals forward is currently serving a three-game suspension for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek.

The absence of Ovechkin in the All-Star game isn't a big deal at all, and the star winger has been a major disappointment this season, with just 39 points in 47 games.

There are far more deserving players who were not selected to the game, and now that Ovechkin's spot on the roster is open, a more worthy All-Star will enjoy a great experience.

Which star should the NHL do a better job of marketing?

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The NHL has hurt its ability to grow and appeal to the most amount of fans possible by over-marketing Crosby and Ovechkin and their rivalry, if there ever was one to begin with. In marketing these two superstars way too much, other great players are not getting the credit or national praise they deserve.

Stars such as Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, New York Islanders forward Jonathan Tavares, and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos are all good role models for kids and perform at an elite level on the ice, but none of them receive enough hype from the league.

Without Crosby and Ovechkin in the All-Star game, the league will have many of its best players at the forefront of the event who will display their many skills to a huge audience.

In the case of Toews, you could easily argue that he's a better player than Ovechkin and certainly performs better in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Stamkos is the best young offensive player in the NHL and is on pace for his second career 50-goal season, and he's only 21 years old. Tavares has been spectacular this season, especially recently, but gets little national recognition.

Not having the two faces of the NHL in the All-Star game can only help the league appeal to a wider audience, which in turn, will help grow the game.

97034589_crop_340x234 Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The sport is not as popular as the NFL or the NBA, so concentrating on a number of stars from different cities and not solely on two players from two cities can only help hockey. With Crosby's return from concussion symptoms uncertain, the league would be smart to market some of its other marquee stars.

No other sport has marketed two players as much as the NHL has Ovechkin and Crosby over the past couple seasons. Those two stars are great players and deservedly get the attention paid to them, but the league has to do a better job of marketing other young stars.

The NHL All-Star game won't be dominated by the star power of Ovechkin and Crosby, which gives fans across the world all the more reasons to watch an extraordinary event, and maybe even find a player or two you will become a fan of.

 

Follow Nicholas Goss on Twitter for NHL/Bruins news and analysis. Follow @NicholasGoss35.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. All quotes obtained first hand.