NHL All-Star Game Media Day: Brian Elliott, Las Vegas and World Cup Hockey Talk

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The NHL All-Star Game media day is a wonderfully unique experience—two hours of hockey’s biggest names answering questions on wide-ranging topics, from ongoing contract negotiations to whom they had as teammates when they were 8 years old.

In the middle of all that interesting stuff, however, can be mind-numbing minutiae about line combinations and what it’s like to play against (ENTER PLAYER NAME HERE).

You have two choices on a day like this; either pick a player or two and write something in-depth (and usually boring), or move from station to station in an attempt to find as many interesting tiny nuggets as you can from as many players as you can.

The second option is the stupid person’s game, a fool’s errand when the first option involves much less work and a smarter use of one’s time and energy.

So, of course, I took the second option.

The NHL set up 10 pods on the main concourse at Nationwide Arena on Friday morning, bringing out players in waves for two hours before the inquiring hordes retired to a lunch of lukewarm hamburger sliders and hard, assorted cookies.

These are some of the highlights of the All-Star Game media day, which include fantasy draft strategy, Rick Nash talking about being booed and the potential World Cup hockey tournament in 2016.

No man is an island

The NHL was in a rough spot when Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky suffered a lower-body injury in his team’s final game before the break. The team learned on Thursday that Bobrovsky would not be able to participate in the weekend’s festivities, but with such late notice, finding a replacement would be difficult.

There are some goaltenders whom teams would prefer take the break and others who have already embarked on family vacations. Blues goaltender Brian Elliott was in the latter position—a warm, relaxed, sunny position in the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Yet when the NHL called, Elliott didn’t let it go to voice mail. He answered, left his wife on a beautiful island and began his journey to Ohio.

That journey had not concluded when media day began, leaving teammate Kevin Shattenkirk to answer the obvious question: Why would anyone in Elliott’s place abandon a vacation for freezing-cold Columbus?

“He sent me a text message, and I had no idea what was going on,” Shattenkirk said. “We were talking, and halfway through the conversation, I realized he was coming. He’s excited. He’s someone who works hard and deserves it, so he’s excited.” 

Will there be a “what the heck were you thinking” vibe in the locker room?

“Probably more from his wife than the guys,” Shattenkirk said.

What would Shattenkirk have done in Elliott’s place?

“I would’ve come,” he said. “You can’t really deny this. You don’t know how many times this is going to happen in your career. I think some guys have the luxury they know they might be here every year. This is an experience you can’t really pass up on, and something that 20 years from now you don’t want to say you skipped an All-Star Game because you wanted to stay on the beach for an extra day or two.”

Viva Las 

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Las Vegas could be the home to an NHL expansion team in the near future, and while it’s not a pressing issue on a weekend like this, why not ask a few players their thoughts on that idea?

And if you’re going to ask one player, why not Tyler Seguin, who had a reputation as a partier during his time in Boston?

“They might have the best home record,” Seguin said before almost interrupting himself, “or the worst home record.”

A few minutes with Phil Kessel

Phil Kessel was part of the second wave of players brought to the media area. At his podium waited a few Toronto media members, but nothing like the throng he sees after Maple Leafs games.

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Kessel sat down, picked up the microphone stand and placed it on the floor beside him, not understanding his answers would be carried on speakers for others to hear. 

“We’re almost out of questions for you,” one reporter opened.

“That’s because you guys ask me everything,” Kessel said. “What else you guys got for me? 

There was nothing tense or surly about the interactions, but Kessel, who was taken last at the All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2009, had some feelings about it happening again Friday night.

“I couldn’t care less,” Kessel said. “I got a free car. ... I don’t think anyone should go last. Everyone’s an All-Star here. They’re all great players. I don’t think anyone cares who goes last or what, you know?”

Fantasy draft strategy

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

Team captains Nick Foligno and Jonathan Toews, along with assistants Drew Doughty, Patrick Kane, Ryan Getzlaf and Rick Nash, will be in charge of choosing sides on Friday night during the fantasy draft, although there doesn’t seem to be any sort of planning happening.

“I’m happy that I can’t really screw this draft up,” Foligno said. “I can’t really draft a bad player. I’ll be nervous I’m sure, but I’m going to have a great time.” 

“I’m definitely going to just get up there and wing it,” Doughty said. “I’m sure we’re not going to come up with a plan. At least I’m not going to." 

As the local face of the draft, Foligno’s image is plastered throughout the arena. Not that he’s enamored with that: “Sorry for everyone that has to look at that.”

Nash comes home again

Rick Nash spent his first nine seasons in Columbus before being traded to the New York Rangers before the 2013 season. The All-Star Game won’t be his first game back here, so the boos that come from fans won’t be unexpected.

“I'm over the boos,” Nash said. “It doesn't affect me. I felt like I put a lot of work into this, to this city, to this organization. I played half my career into Columbus, and to build hockey the best I can in the area. Seems to be taking off pretty good.” 

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

World Cup fever

On Friday, the NHL is expected to announce plans for the World Cup in 2016. The format has yet to be decided, but there could be a European All-Star team comprised of players from countries that do no qualify and a young guns team consisting of players aged 23 or younger.

The results were mixed on those extra teams.

“That would be pretty intimidating,” Steven Stamkos said of the young guns team. “I don’t know how I’d feel about that game. Whether I’d be cheering for them to win or our team to win. If that’s the case, those guys will be pretty pumped up.” 

“I would say if it was 10 years ago, it would be upsetting, because 10 years ago we had a lot of guys in the NHL,” said Jaroslav Halak, a Slovak. ”Right now, we got maybe 12. So that would be tough to make a team out of 12 guys. Obviously, you need 20. It will be different to see [the rest of Euro All-Star team], but at the same time, I’m open to it. It would be nice to play with some other players from different countries.’’

Ottawa’s Bobby Ryan said he’d love to play for Team USA, although he still hasn’t forgotten about being left off the 2014 Olympic squad, which was selected with the input of Brian Burke. 

"I would always play for my country if they called,” Ryan said. “To wear that jersey is incredible. I would always play. If it was Brian Burke calling, I’d probably let it ring a few extra times and make him sweat before I picked it up.”

All quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics via NHL.com and Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com.

Dave Lozo covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @DaveLozo.