It's 10000000 Percent Better To Be Suspended One Game Than To Risk Getting Hurt In The Freaking All Star Game

WaPo - Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has informed the NHL that he will not attend the All-Star Game in San Jose later this month, after fans voted him the Metropolitan Division captain. Ovechkin said he wants the extra rest, with the league’s all-star break bleeding into the Capitals’ bye week, which would give him more than a week off. But the decision has a cost: Ovechkin will be required by the league to miss one game either immediately before or after the All-Star Game. Washington plays in Toronto before the break and hosts Calgary after it.

“First of all, thanks for all the fans who voted for me,” Ovechkin said Wednesday. “I know it’s a tough decision, obviously. I like to be part of all the events, but right now I think that time of the year and my age we decide to take a one-week break. It’s hard, but it’s better for me.”

While Ovechkin participated in the past two All-Star Games, he missed the 2016 version in Nashville because of an undisclosed “lower-body” injury. He chose not to go in 2012 because the event was going to fall in the middle of his three-game suspension for an illegal hit.

“He’s been wrestling with this for a while, and he knows the honor of being voted in by the fans and all that. He’s thinking about our team and what gives our team the best chance to have success after what we did last year. It’s a tough one, but we’ll decide what game it is he misses as we get closer to that.”

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I mean this is a no-brainer for all parties involved. Ovi should absolutely take the 1 game and miss the ASG. It works our perfectly for both Ovi individually and the NHL as a league.

The All Star Game is to showcase the stars of the game. Ovi is already established as a mega star. The NHL can use the weekend to showcase the young guys like McDavid and Mathews and Laine without Ovi overshadowing them. Because when it comes down to it, if Ovi is there, he’s in the spotlight. So this is actually good for the NHL as they need to market their young guys and not the ol’ Crosby/Ovechkin thing they’ve been doing for a decade.

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And then for Ovi obviously it’s a no brainer. He’s still sweating vodka from the Summer. He has miles in those tires- 33 years old and on his 14th professional season. He’s played playoffs, world championships, and everything in between. And the Caps have a real shot at going back to back. Risking an injury at the meaningless All Star Game just isn’t worth it. The NHL All Star Game is basically the NFL Pro Bowl but in the middle of the season. It’s so unnecessary. Resting and getting his mind right to make another run is way more important.

And so as punishment, he has to sit out a game. Fair. Just more rest for him. Almost seems like a reward. He doesn’t have to risk getting hurt and he gets extra time to rest his body to gear up for the spring.

That’s what we call