Growing up, the NHL All-Star Game was one of my favorite events to watch as a kid. Today, the game is a joke and a disappointment to NHL fans.

The latest NHL All-Star Weekend was on February fourth, and I have never been so disappointed in the NHL. I very much look forward to the NHL All-Star Weekend because of the skills competition because players typically go all out in their efforts with their moves and skills in order to make it fun and spectacular for the fans. However, this year, the energy was so low that multiple people did not demonstrate any skills that make hockey fun to watch; it was like it was designed for toddlers to watch. This is fine if that is what the NHL intends now, but it was extremely boring from my perspective, as no players acted or attempted to even try to put on a show and do something fancy.

Not only was the skills competition terrible because no one did anything fun to watch, but the actual games were terrible. It looked like the NBA players were out there with no defense anywhere. Players on defense were simply standing still letting people weave in and out. Players on offense would barely shoot the puck as if they did not want to score. People pay money to see the best players in the league play on the same team and put on a show in a fun three-on-three hockey format, but instead, no one tries so it is like a breakaway competition. So, I ask the NHL this question: What is the point? It irritates me so much that the league works so hard to set these weekends up, but they turn out to be complete garbage.

I was extremely disappointed with the way the players showed up and performed. I understand it is a fun event for those NHL players, and it is supposed to be a social event. However, people want to see some action, and they do not want to be bored because the players are almost too timid or scared to pull off an extraordinary move or skate fast to create a fantastic play. It is pathetic to watch, and I feel like the NHL needs to make it more entertaining next year or incorporate some sort of incentive for the winning team in order to prompt players to actually play. If this continues to happen, the NHL has definitely lost a viewer and probably many many more if it keeps this same style going.