MJHL all-star game - what's the point?

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League put their best spin on their annual all-star game, but from all accounts it was not the showcase of the league’s top talent they had hoped for.
Oh, the offensive players shone – a bit too brightly perhaps – as the Addison Division defeated the Sher-Wood Division by a final score of 19-15.
That’s a total of 34 goals scored, more than one every two minutes.
Fans expect all-star games to be high scoring affairs, but 34 goals seems a bit excessive. It wasn’t so much a hockey game as it was a shooting gallery.
And one would have to wonder why any team would consent to having their netminder take part in this event. The netminders faced a combined 113 shots in this game.
Perhaps there needs to be some sort of incentive to turn this annual showcase into a game fans actually want to watch, and make the players take it somewhat more seriously. Maybe a prize package of some sort, or a reward for the winning division such as home-ice advantage in the MJHL final, would do the trick.
By comparison, the top prospect’s game would have been far more interesting to watch. The Addison Division won 6-5 – and there were even some penalties called in this one.
Some fans might also want the MJHL and SJHL to return to their inter-league all-star competition. But that would take some cooperation from the two leagues. Home-ice advantage in the ANAVET Cup would be quite the prize to play for, though.
What do you, the fans, think of the MJHL All-Star game? Is it fine the way it is? Would you like to see something new? Send me a note at editor@starandtimes.ca and I’ll (anonymously) print some of your suggestions.
• Neepawa Natives forward Wes Pawluk is the MJHL’s Potter Distillers Player of the Week.
The Natives went undefeated and are battling the Portage Terriers for third place in the Sher-Wood Division, who they defeated on the Sunday after the MJHL’s All-Star game. Both teams also have a chance to catch the Swan Valley Stampeders for second place, though they will need a lot of help to do that.
Pawluk, a 20-year-old from Petersfield, scored four goals and added two helpers in three games.
Also considered for this award was David Aime of OCN Blizzard and Ryan Marshall from the Swan Valley Stampeders.
Aime posted a 1-1 record last week, with a .942 save percentage and 2.50 GAA. His win was a 1-0 shutout over the Swan Valley Stampeders.
Marshall scored a goal and added three helpers in Swan Valley’s victory over the Blizzard in their return match.
• The Dauphin Kings have slipped to seventh in the nation according to the latest Canadian Junior Hockey League Weekly Top 20 rankings.
The Kings fell to seventh from fifth place, and they are the only MJHL team to crack to the top 20.
The Selkirk Steelers, though, do rate an honourable mention thanks in part to their convincing victory over the Winnipeg Saints in a game for first place in the Addison Division.
• Hey hockey fans. Do you enjoy free stuff? Are you planning to attend the RBC Championship in Dauphin this spring?
Then it’s probably not a bad idea to visit www.cjhlhockey.com and click on the RBC Cup survey.
There’s a chance to win some incredible prizes, including a customized RBC Cup 2010 jersey, two RBC Cup full event ticket packages, $100 in RBC Cup merchandise vouchers and two tickets to the Opening Night Celebration starring Charlie Major.
The survey only takes a couple of minutes, and it’s actually fairly informative.