For once, the NHL All-Star Weekend wasn't downright boring.
Now, that's not to say it was a gripping, action-packed piece of theatre. The NHL All-Star events simply don't have the capacity for drama and excitement like those of the MLB's Home Run Derby or the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest.
But it wasn't dull. And that's an achievement on its own.
In many of the recent years fans have had to deal with it, the All-Star Weekend, down to its bare essentials, was a break from the regular season. Players would go less than half speed in the game, maybe do a couple cool moves in the skills competition and the best memories were usually from Friday's drunken draft.