The 2009 NHL All Star Game: Why It's Not Fair

As most of you already know, this year's NHL All-Star game will be held in Montreal.

If you did not already know that, all you have to do is look at the rosters to understand where the All-Star Game is being held.

I realize the East reserves have not been announced yet, but lets have a look at the starting rosters for the game, which takes place on Jan. 24:

West                                                        East

C-Jonathan Toews (CHI)                        C-Sidney Crosby (PIT)
L-Patrick Kane (CHI)                              L-Evgeni Malkin (PIT)
R-Ryan Getzlaf (ANA)                             R-Alexei Kovalev (MON)
D-Brian Campbell (CHI)                           D-Andrei Markov (MON)
D-Scott Niedermayer (ANA)                     D-Mike Komisarek (MON)
G-J.S. Giguere (ANA)                              G- Carey Price (MON)

If you haven't already noticed a pattern in the lineups, there are four, yes, four different teams represented in the starting lineups: Chicago, Anaheim, Pittsburgh and, of course, Montreal.

This only proves that NHL voters are biased towards their favourite teams and more Canadien fans voted than any other team.

Lets examine the East's lineup:

Price hasn't been healthy all season.

Kovalev is not even in the top 50 in NHL scoring.

Do I even have to mention Mike Komisarek?

What has the NHL come to?

The fact of the matter is, only two of the six players deserve to be in the starting lineup and only three of the six even deserve to be on the team (Markov being the other).

In the Western Conference, the fans were obviously biased towards Chicago and Anaheim. Like the Eastern Conference, there are players whose names do not deserve to be on that roster.

Scott Nidermayer and Jonathan Toews do not deserve to be on the team, nor does Giguere, only because there are better goalies in the West.

In both conferences, other players are 100 percent more deserving of roster spots than the players that were chosen by the fans to play in the All-Star Game.

Based on stats and a small percentage of my opinion, I have compiled a roster for both conferences compiled of deserving players. There are more people that deserve a spot than the people that I list, but here is a small view:

West Starters                                       East Starters
C-Joe Thornton                                      C-Sidney Crosby
L-Ryan Getzlaf                                       L-Alexander Ovechkin
R-Jarome Iginla                                      R-Evgeni Malkin
D-Dan Boyle                                          D-Mark Streit
D-Nick Lidstrom                                      D-Mike Green
G-Evgeni Nabokov                                  G-Tim Thomas

West Reserves                                    East Reserves
Pavel Datsyuk                                       Marc Savard
Patrick Marleau                                     Zach Parise
Patrick Kane                                         Patrik Elias
Rick Nash                                             Jeff Carter
Brian Rafalski                                        Andrei Markov
Sheldon Souray                                     Dennis Wideman
Shea Weber                                         Kimo Timmonen
Roberto Luongo                                     Henrik Lundqvist
Nicklas Backstrom                                  Ryan Miller


That is more like it.

Marleau? Not on the team.

Rafalski, who is 1st among Western Conference defensemen in points? Not on the team.

Thornton and Iginla? Not starting.

Thomas? Not starting and probably wont be on the team.

Ovechkin? Not starting.

I cannot wait to see the reserve roster for the East to see if the likes of Savard, Carter, Elias and Parise make it on the squad. If not, then I'll be speechless.

The bottom line is that the fans should not be voting on the players that will play in the All-Star Game. It should be chosen by professionals, coaches, and/or sportswriters. The fans have clearly shown that they are biased and do not know how to vote.

I understand that the NHL wants fans to get more involved, but this is just not right. Elite players that have shined will not be making the trip to Montreal, and it's just not fair.