Brian Rafalski Denies All-Star Game Invitation

Update (11:05 PM): Clark Rasmussen of DetroitHockey.Net, posting a comment at Abel to Yzerman, just noted that the FSN broadcast team of Ken Daniels and Larry Murphy said that Brian Rafalski was asked to go to the All-star game by the league, but declined.

That lessens the blow somewhat so far, as the Red Wings fan part of me is concerned. The pure hockey fan side of me still feels the outrage of Scott Niedermeyer being named a replacement for Sergei Zubov at the expense of any number of more-deserving candidates in the West. In that respect, I stand by my post below.

(By the way, I’m not watching the LA game because I’ve gotten maybe 17 hours of sleep over the past 48 and I have to be up at 5:30 in the morning. I’d like to be able to attain the standard level of consciousness tomorrow, so I’m going to bed.) - Matt

IwoCPO has an excellent post over at Abel to Yzerman that you have to read.

Every once and awhile, the NHL does something that forces fans to weigh the benefits of continuing to follow the game against the complete and utter stupidity that so often comes from the league offices. This is one of those times.

In my judgment, the league passes once again, but only just. The All-Star Game is simply too meaningless for this to do anything more than royally piss me off.