Choosing the 2021 Divisional All-Star Teams

Among the countless that the world has suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, inarguably the greatest is the loss of the 2021 NHL All-Star game. The collective sacrifice our society has absorbed by losing the ability to watch a few dozen hungover players skate at roughly the pace of an old-timer’s game after deciding that playing hooky wasn’t worth the suspension is, frankly, incalculable.

To promote healing and self-care, I decided to imagine a more merciful world in which the league recognized this and found a way to hold a game anyway.

I chose eight forwards, four defencemen, and two goalies per division for a 3-on-3 tournament, making sure that each team would be represented by at least one player (even if doing so meant forcing/allowing a better-performing player to stay home).