Friday, January 16, 2009

What to about the Top Prospects game?

The water cooler talk of the day has been Zach Kassian hit on John Tavares in the third period. Tavares favored the right shoulder after the hit. The latest report has Tavares day to day.

McKellar said X-rays showed no broken bones or shoulder separation.

There has been an outcry why should this game be played and why risk any injury? I personally hate this argument. A player has the same chance of getting injured if it was a regular season game.

I know this isn't truely an all star game. Kids want to show their talents to the scouts that are in attendance. Scouts look at physical play and other aspects of the game then scoring goals. It's the best way for the scouts to see the best draft eligible players in the CHL play against each other.

Some don't want the game to be played but I say how about the 20th man on each roster? They want this opportunity to go up against the best. Should the top players sit out? It's not going to happen. The star players sell this game. If you get rid of Tavares, Kane, Ellis, Duchene, and Schenn why would the casual fan go to this event? The barn would be just filled with scouts.

I believe Tavares had an obligation to play in the game. Oshawa got the game because of him and he was making his return to the building since being traded to the London Knights. He couldn't pull a Sidney Crosby and skip the event because he was the reason why the game was played in Oshawa.

Now Kassian had some interesting comments after the game.

"You play this game to be remembered and I think it would be, a No. 1 overall pick gets hurt in the prospect game so I think it should get a lot of media," Kassian said of the hit after his Team Cherry was drubbed by Tavares' Team Orr 6-1. "It's good for me, obviously, getting my name out there.

"(The attention) doesn't bother me at all."

Kassian is one of my favorite players in this draft. Were the comments a little over the line? I think so but he wasn't looking to hurt Tavares.

"I saw him cut to the middle behind the net after he had a pass, he had his head down so I did what any normal player would do and threw my hit," said Kassian. "The bad thing was he got hurt but that's hockey and we have to go forward."

Going back what I said earlier, Kassian was playing his game for the scouts. He would of done that in a regular season game.

It's apart of the game. I know coaches and general managers worry about their star players getting hurt they should get the CHL to can the game.

That's My Take

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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