NHL All-Star Game 2012: Why Injury-Plagued Showcase Is Still Worth Watching

There's been so much talk about the 2012 NHL All-Star Game being without Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, but there are still plenty of reasons why the showcase on Sunday is worth watching.

It's easy for people to focus on the negatives. Yes, Ovechkin and Crosby are two of the greatest players in hockey and they're certainly the most marketable.

But it's not like the 18 first-time All-Stars this year are slouches, either.

Said Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos, via the Winnipeg Free Press:

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You have as much fun as you can, but at the end of the day every player has his pride and wants to go out there and perform well. Everyone here wants to showcase their skills and prove to everyone that they prove to be at this game and this event. It's fun, but it does have that element of competitiveness that everyone brings in.

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While this season's All-Star Game doesn't have a lot of big names, it's also an opportunity for the burgeoning young players to showcase their skills and give people a glimpse of what's to come. There's something exciting about seeing unheralded stars surprise.

Said Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla, "It's a fun game, you want to go and just enjoy the experience. Once it gets going, the pace usually ramps up. Each year over the last while, it's gotten a little bit quicker. I think this year's pretty young and they play a quick game."

Also, when Ovechkin dropped out of the competition, that opened up a spot for Philadelphia Flyers veteran Scott Hartnell, who made his first All-Star team in 11 seasons. Some would say it was long-deserved and he should be a popular player come Sunday.

Of course, there's the notion that players generally don't play the physical style hockey fans love during the showcase, particularly because they want to avoid injury. But as the physicality of the sport recedes, it lends for a more graceful game, predicated more on out-tricking and out-maneuvering the competition.

There's also a camaraderie that takes place on the ice that is enjoyable to watch. Last season, for example, former teammates Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards were part of the same team again and showed the same chemistry they showed in seasons past.

It's easy to point out all that is wrong about the NHL All-Star Game, but remember what is right about it, too.