NHL players aren’t about to injure themselves in an all-star game.
So when the league puts on an exhibition for fans with no bearing on the season (unlike the way Major League Baseball used to do it where the all-star game winner gets home-field advantage at the World Series) fans can expect the contest to look like glorified shinny. The best glorified shinny in the world, mind you.
Still, Don Cherry likes it when he sees effort out there, and he saw it most from one all-star: Justin Bieber.
“There he his, great haircut; Canadian boy from Stratford,” said Cherry of the pop sensation who appeared in the weekend’s celebrity all-star game. “He’s back-checking. Way to go, Justin-boy! Pretty good singer, I guess, too.
“At least he tried!”
Bieber made headlines Saturday when he went hard into a corner with former NHL all-star Chris Pronger. It was a rough ride for the Biebs, you can imagine.
The hit even garnered some *cough* attention from the NHL’s Player Safety Department.
Cherry was completely honest with his comments on the NHL’s all-star play Sunday.
“You know what, folks? These guys are making $90,000 if they win — that’s nothing to these guys,” he said. “I was wrong for the first time; I thought they’d really turn it on. I’m supposed to come on here and say what a great game [it is]. They’re not even trying!
“I don’t go for it.”
Since last season’s all-star game, the winning division is awarded a cash prize that is split between the players.
The exhibition has — for a long time but not always — been free of body checking.
“I don’t expect them to hit five-on-five. They can’t hit three-on-three,” said Cherry. “But I expect a little effort and that’s why I don’t come to all-star games. You’re gonna bring me? I’m gonna tell the truth.”
“Well, that’s true,” said Ron MacLean.
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