National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All- Star Game is a hockey friendly match of the best and most popular players in the North American professional league National Hockey League, the after half of the regular-season games is completed, currently being held as a competition between the Conferences.
The first six players per team, which open up the game are chosen by the fans. The remaining players on each team are selected by the respective All- Star Coach. As coach of the All-Star team is the coach of the best point at a certain time of each team in each Conference.
Before the actual All- Star Game, the NHL All-Star Skills Competition will be held, will be demonstrated in the various skills of the players present. In addition, the NHL Young Stars Game was previously held from 2002 to 2009, here were only so-called rookies against each other. This season has been shortened here. In each case, only played four instead of the usual five field players.
History
Although the first official All- Star Game was played only during the 1947/48 season, there were previously charity games where the best players in the league were represented.
The first All- Star Game in Hockey was established to commemorate Hod Stuart of the Montreal Wanderers, who had drowned three months after winning the Stanley Cup, held prior to the founding of the NHL by the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association on January 2, 1908. The proceeds of this game, which won the Montreal Wanderers with 10:7 against an all-star team consisting of players from the rest of the team, went to the deceased's family.
Ace Bailey Benefit Game
The first NHL All- Star game in 1934 in favor of Ace Bailey, a striker for the Toronto Maple Leafs, discharged, who suffered an injury that ended his career.
On December 12, 1933, shortly before the end of the second period during a game of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins at the Boston Garden, was Ace Bailey of the defenders of the Boston Bruins, Eddie Shore, brought from behind with the bat the box. This was a rematch of a check, which had previously been committed by King Clancy Eddie Shore. Bailey was not the real target of the attack, as Shore actually wanted to meet Clancy. However, Bailey was seriously injured in this action and was lying on the ice unconscious and bleeding. Bailey's teammates Red Horner then proposed Eddie Shore, so this also fell to the ground unconscious. After the game, Bailey Shore forgave the attack, as something part of the game. Shortly thereafter, however Bailey collapsed with cramps and again lost consciousness. The following night, it was not certain whether Bailey would survive this, because he suffered from severe brain hemorrhage. If Bailey had died, Shore had a charge of manslaughter expected. Luckily, Ace Bailey was this severe injury, but his hockey career was over. For the attack on Bailey Shore received a lock of 16 games, then a third of the entire season, and Horner was suspended for the rest of the year.
The game itself was proposed by Walter Gilhooley. This proposal was adopted by a meeting of the NHL Board of Governors on 24 January 1934. Then the first NHL All- Star game was held on February 14, 1934. On this occasion, the Toronto Maple Leafs locked carried by Ace Bailey jersey number 6 This was also the first number that was locked in the NHL. In the game, the Toronto Maple Leafs competed against a selection of players from the remaining seven NHL teams and won with 7:3. A remarkable moment took place before the game, as Ace Bailey Eddie Shore presented his All-Star jersey to demonstrate that he had forgiven him.
Howie Morenz Memorial Game
Howie Morenz was one of the best players in the National Hockey League in the 1930s. However, his career was cut during a game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Chicago Blackhawks on January 28, 1937 at the Montreal Forum. During the game, Morenz was checked by Chicago's Earl Seibert player in the band. It looked like a normal check, but because the bands were then still made of wood, the leg of Morenz broke at five different locations above the ankle. Morenz was brought on a stretcher from the ice and taken to hospital, where he died on March 8 of a heart attack. While Morenz was still in the hospital, plans have already been forged for a charity match. This game took place on November 3, 1937. In the game players of the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Maroons competed against a selection of players from the rest of the team that won the game 6-5. The back number 7 Howie Morenz of was later blocked by the Montreal Canadiens.
Babe Siebert Memorial Game
According to the charity matches for Bailey and Morenz was on 29 October 1939, a game in Montreal Forum in honor of Babe Siebert instead. Siebert had been active as a player 1925-1939 for the Montreal Maroons, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens and should be according to his resignation in the summer of 1939 the new head coach of the Canadiens. In a tragic swimming accident in which he died, but it never came about.
In the game, Montreal Canadiens met a selection of NHL stars who won the game before a crowd of 6,000 spectators with 5:2. His wife and two daughters Revenues raised $ 15,000 benefited.
The official Games
Since the 1947/48 season, the NHL All- Star game takes place annually. Four times no longer found the game since then held: In 1966, the game was moved from the beginning of the season at the halfway point of the season. 1979 Challenge Cup was played in 1987, the Rendez -vous '87 was held in 1995, the season was due to a strike of the National Hockey League Players Association shortened as 2005. In 2006, the game was due to the Winter Olympics not held in Turin, as 2010, when the Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada took place.
The first NHL All- Star game was held on October 13, 1947 at Maple Leaf Gardens. The game was held up to the 1967/68 season according to the following mode. The respective reigning Stanley Cup winners went up against a selection of the remaining teams.
For this game, glass panes were installed instead of the usual barbed wire. Here complained about the fans, because the sounds of muffled sounded checks along the boards. Before the game, the reigning champion got various gifts such as golf balls, cigarette boxes, ties, pocket knives, watches presented. At the end of the All-Stars won against the Leafs 4-3.
Normally, the All- Star game is always played in the stadium of the reigning champions. The second game, however, was held in Chicago Stadium, as it was agreed in the contract negotiations for the first game so. Due to scheduling difficulties, the second game was only played after the season was three weeks old and not as commonly used for the next 20 years before the start of the season.
1950 for the first time won the reigning Stanley Cup champion, the All- Star game 7-1. Since this game was rather one-sided, was thinking about a mode change to make the game more balanced and more attractive for the fans. An intellectual exercise was the game to delete it completely and to expand the finals for the Stanley Cup in nine games. Another idea was to have a competing American against a Canadian team.
Finally, at the 5th All- Star game, the mode has been changed. The first NHL All- Star team competed against the second NHL All- Star team. The rest of the players of the first team were selected from American teams, the remaining players of the second team of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. The game ended 2-2 and the fans were disappointed again. The next year, the same selection format was used and the game ended 1-1 after 60 minutes.
Due to numerous criticisms and unattractive game, the NHL returned to the original format. The review was, inter alia, that often team-mates in the new format competed against each other and collided the time of the game in the U.S. with the World Series in baseball and the National Football League. Then proposed an editor of the Toronto Star, Red Burnett, plans to transfer the game in the middle of the season and choose to let the players by fans.
In the 1967/68 season the game was then moved to the middle of the season, partly to apply for the six new participants. Because the game now took place during the season, you had to think for player selection, there would have been under the old mode, players now just a year before the game took place selected. In addition, the champions would not have been necessarily the same as the team that had previously won the Cup.
The 21th All-Star Game a year later was a sad event. On January 14, 1968, two days before the game Bill Masterton was checked by two players of the Oakland Seals and subsequently succumbed to his injuries. The game itself was overshadowed by the discussion of a helmet law. This was the last game for the old format. In the future, should an All -Star team in the Eastern Conference play against a team from the Western Conference. The intention was the opportunity to unsubscribe the game in any city, each alternately, a team from each Conference was entrusted with the alignment. Furthermore, the best players in the current season and not last season should be represented in the teams. At 22 All- Star game the reigning champion was the last time the organizer of the event. First organizer as non masters were the St. Louis Blues from the Western Conference. In the 26th All- Star game the most valuable player of the game (MVP) was the first time a car as a bonus.
In 1978 after the NHL 's interest in international hockey was awakened again, the league decided the All -Star game in 1979 to be replaced by a comprehensive three games series. Called Challenge Cup - - In this series should compete against the best players in the Soviet Union, the best players in the NHL. This was also the first time that the fans could dial the player. Because the NHL players, however, could prepare only three days on the show together, the NHL players lost the series 2-1, with the last game was clearly lost 6-0.
Over the next few years waned interest in the All- Star game, as some players who preferred not to stand and potential organizers canceled it. At the 37th All- Star game in 1985 honorary captains were elected for the first time. Furthermore, for the first time were allowed to choose the starting six players per team the fans. One possibility that has long exercised by the National Basketball Association, National Football League and Major League Baseball. This was the NHL increase media interest. This measure should bear fruit next year.
1987 Rendez -vous '87 was held in the Colisee de Quebec in Quebec City. Again, the NHL stars competed against the team of the Soviet Union. To prevent re how to avoid embarrassment in 1979, a series was played over two games. The series ended 1-1. During the series, the then President of the NHL John Ziegler said that Soviet player could never play in the NHL and the NHL players would never take part in Winter Olympics. In the meantime, play formerly Soviet player in the NHL and NHL Players will take part in the Winter Olympics.
During the 41st All-Star Game 1990 NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the " Heroes of Hockey " game were introduced. 1998 the 48th All- Star game, the format was changed to promote the first participation of NHL players in the Olympics. For the next five years joined a North American selection against an international selection of NHL players.
The last "Heroes of Hockey " game during the All-Star weekend took place in 2001. As of 2002, it was replaced by the three times for 10 minute-long Young Stars Game.
In 2003, the competition format was changed back to East against West. Another change took place in 2011 for the 58th All- Star game instead. The first six players were chosen by the fans and were supplemented with selected by the NHL players. These formed two teams that determined the captain of their number, after the team was named.