Toews Gets Sick, Out For The All-Star Game, So The NHL Suspended Him One Game

“[Toews] was pulled from Tuesday night’s third period because of an illness and remains symptomatic today,” Blackhawks team physician Michael Terry said in a statement. “Rest over the break is most important for him to properly recover and be fully healthy heading into the rest of the season.”

Toews was too sick to finish the Carolina game. A game that saw the Hawks call up Mark McNeil to replace another player on the team that was sick. I don’t think Toews is faking sick, but just for the sake of this blog let’s say that he had his mom write a note to Bettman. You’re going to suspended one of the best players in the league for a real game because he didn’t want to play in a fake game? How is the All-Star game more important than two points in the standings? The All-Star Game is a joke. The NHL keeps trying to find a format that is more appealing to fans. Guess what, the ratings always stink because nobody cares. Suspending Toews for not wanting to play a game of shinny against John Scott is bullshit.

What they need to do is figure out a way to scrap the All-Star Game, but still have the skills competition. I’ll never get tired of seeing Chara and Weber launch bombs or the guys break the targets in the net.

Do the skills comp the day before the Stanley Cup Finals and have it be old-timers like Al Iafrate, Roenick, and Ray Bourque vs guys who didn’t make the Finals. That’s a million dollar idea.