It’s normally not the easiest pursuit in the world to get all jacked up for the NHL’s annual All-Star Game, like the one happening on Sunday in Los Angeles. Maybe you justify watching by say, hey, it’s better than the Pro Bowl, but then again, what isn’t? The skills competition gets over-hyped and just doesn’t feel as much fun as it used to, but we watch, we let loose a few oohs and aahs, we check the schedule to see when the season resumes.
This was not the case thirty years ago, when the NHL dispensed with its standard All-Star routine to stage some proper international drama.