Opinion: The NHL All-Star Game should be removed

With the NHL All-Star Weekend approaching fast, the rosters have been released and some players have refused to play. But lately, I feel like the NHL All-Star Game is just a money grabber for the NHL and it isn't what it used to. Many may not agree with me, but hear me out.

Personally, I miss the old All-Star Games where magic would happen and games wouldn't end with 29 goals scored like a couple years ago. It just seems to me that the NHL doesn't care about what used to be a spectacle for players, fans and cities alike and they just want to fill their pockets with money. Given the NHL is a business, but come on, the NHL's revenue projection for this season is $4.54 billion. It's not like they need the money even though they're trailing most North American major sports leagues.

I miss games that would go into overtime, or games where something that rarely happens happens. Call me old school, but who doesn't like watching the best players in the league go head-to-head in overtime? Don't say that we can see that during the Olympics because we all know how that's going to turn out.

I remember when Owen Nolan pointed to the top-net corner and actually scored or when the Pepsi Center in Colorado saw the return of Mario Lemieux and the second highest scoring All-Star Game. And lastly in 1991, when the crowd cheered through the American national anthem when the United States began Operation Desert Storm.

It seems like the All-Star Game has just became a distraction other than something that is actually fun to watch. Yes, we have seen John Scott make the All-Star Game, he was a fan-favourite there, but the NHL almost tried to stop it because it was "preposterous," but in the last couple of years it seems like the NHL All-Star is nothing but preposterous. Games ending in 29 combined goals is absolutely crazy, yes they are the stars of the League but really? 29 goals in 60 minutes? For sure it could happen but still.

What's your take on the NHL All-Star Game, should it be removed or kept around?

Should the NHL remove the All-Star Game?