Daniel Sedin may not have much to smile with these days, what with all those teeth he lost on Monday, but he definitely has something to smile about: the Canucks' winger has been named to the 2016 NHL All-Star Game, where, under the new format, he will play for Team Pacific Division.
Henrik will not. He wasn't invited, and Daniel must be thrilled. The Sedins have put up nearly identical career statlines -- fitting, for identical twins -- and they even tend to match one another's accomplishments. Henrik won an Art Ross in 2009-10, then Daniel took home the trophy the following year, for instance. But until now, Henrik has boasted one more All-Star Game appearance. The eldest Sedin attended the 09-10 game as a solo artist. With today's announcement, that little blip on the Sedins' otherwise identical resumés has been cleared right up.
Other members of Team Pacific Division: Johnny Gaudreau, Taylor Hall, Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry, Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, Mark Giordano, John Gibson, and Jonathan Quick.
Oh, and John Scott, who succeeded where Rory Fitzpatrick failed -- in seeing the NHL's idiotic fan voting system through to its logical conclusion, and making the roster ironically. Is it an embarrassment? Oh, absolutely. But don't blame John Scott or the fans. The NHL is to blame. They've utterly ruined their All-Star Game. They knew this was a possibility years ago with the Vote For Rory campaign. They did nothing to prevent this, and now their game is without purpose.
So if you're mad about the guys that didn't get an invite -- guys like Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews -- remember that your anger is rooted in a notion that the All-Star Game means something. It no longer does. You could invite Little Miss Muffet, Pete Rose, and the cast of TV's Two Broke Girls. Being worthy of an All-Star invitation is no longer a prerequisite to receiving one.
Although it's probably fair that the Pacific Division should have to incorporate John Scott. Considering how terrible they've been this season, the whole division deserves to be punished. In fact, maybe the NHL should force John Scott on the worst division every year. That'd be a fun All-Star Game tradition.
That said, maybe Daniel and John Scott will click. Daniel needs a new running mate, after all, since Scott was invited but Henrik wasn't. Can Scott make a saucer pass? Here's hoping.
