Ottawa Senators

The first Princeton University player drafted by an NHL team since 2001, Michael Sdao is currently leading all Tigers' defensemen in scoring. With six goals and nine assists for 15 points, which are all-career highs in his first 20 games this season.

He's also pacing all Princeton players with 61-penalty minutes and is third in overall-team scoring.

In 14 games in Eastern College Athletic Conference play this year, the 6'4", 230-pound Sdao has posted 12 points (4-8). This currently ranks him third among ECAC defensemen. It has him tied for 11th amongst all conference skaters. His best game to date came on November 14 at conference rival Brown, when he set up two goals in regulation and then scored the game-winner in overtime.

Taken in the seventh round by the Ottawa Senators in 2009, the junior blueliner from Niwot, Colorado enrolled at Princeton after playing two seasons with Lincoln of the United States Hockey League—where he accumulated 340 penalty minutes.

The only drafted player on the Princeton roster, Sdao has tallied 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points and 174-penalty minutes in 77-career college games with the Tigers. Included in his totals are five power-play goals and two game-winners.

He's also the first Princeton player to be drafted since fellow defenseman Matt Maglione was tabbed by the Washington Capitals in the eighth round in 2001.

Princeton (6-10-5 overall, 5-8-2 ECAC) was 2-1-3 in its last six games, having last played in a 3-3 tie against No. 9 Cornell on January 14. The Tigers are currently on their exam break and will return to action against UConn on January 31.

Now an assistant captain, Sdao tallied two goals in an 8-1 win against the Huskies as a freshman.

Following the UConn game, Princeton will close out the campaign with seven-consecutive ECAC contests, while battling for home ice in the first round of the conference tournament.

Since the infamous lockout, one of the NHL’s greatest rivalries has indeed lost its edge.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators used to always entertain their respective fandom, regardless of when they played.

For years, the battle of Ontario filled up bars across the province; it was the marque matchup on Hockey Night in Canada. Whenever these two teams crossed paths, it was an all-out war that created a playoff vibe in both ScotiaBank Place and the Air Canada Centre.

Unfortunately, it has all disappeared.

The days of Mats Sundin, Tie Domi, Gary Roberts, Curtis Joseph, Wade Redden, Rob Ray, Zdeno Chara and Patrick Lalime are gone. The “glory days” are all but over.

Both teams were victims of the new NHL, leading to massive overhauls. Besides all the roster and personnel changes, the two new faces rejuvenating the battle of Ontario have a history with each other.

Bryan Murray changed the Anaheim Ducks organization both on and off the ice.

Murray began Anaheim’s transition from laughingstock of the NHL to league champions. Following a trip to the Stanley Cup final, Murray left Anaheim for a chance to move home and coach the Senators. His departure sparked Brian Burke’s reign as head of the Ducks.

Many fans and critics believe Burke rode the coattails of Murray to his success in California. In 2007, Murray and Burke met in the Stanley Cup finals. The Senators would eventually lose in five games, leading many to believe that Murray lost to the team he helped build.

Anaheim’s winning team was based on his blueprint, Burke just added the final pieces—Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and Teemu Selanne. Niedermayer was one of Burke’s biggest acquisitions while in Anaheim, all because of Murray. Niedermayer signed with the Ducks in 2005 for a chance to play with his brother Rob, whom Murray acquired in 2003.

Fast forward five years and they’re at it again.

Both Burke and Murray are the lead architects for two teams trying to rejoin the league’s elite. For the first time in seven years, Toronto is in the middle of the playoff race in the East. What’s even more surprising is the Senators' situation—somehow Ottawa has completely bypassed a rebuilding year to become a potential contender, once again.

Tuesday’s game between the two teams could have potential playoff implications, something fans haven’t seen in years.

The turnaround trend both teams are experiencing is good for the organizations. Fans are being reminded of the good days when their beloved teams would square off in the playoffs.

What once was a thought of the past, could possibly happen again.

And whether they like it or not, the 2 Bs—Brian and Bryan—are a new subplot for the Battle of Ontario.

By far one of the coolest stories of the 2011-2012 NHL season is the rise of the Ottawa Senators. They managed just 74 points all of last season, third-fewest in the Eastern Conference, but they already have 56 this season with more than two months to play.

So, barring any kind of epic collapse, a return to the postseason is all but assured. And if Paul MacLean can keep working his magic, the Senators may very well make a run at the Stanley Cup this season.

The question the team has to answer now is whether or not they should go out and get additional help to aide the process.

Senators owner Eugene Melnyk hinted this is a possibility when he spoke to Toronto’s Fan 590 on Monday.

“If we continue on our road and we’re healthy, we’ll certainly look at doing something prior to the trade deadline and, at the very least, we’ll be looking at doing something," said Melnyk, per the Ottawa Citizen.

So as strange as it may seem, the Senators could very well approach the trade deadline as buyers. Pretty cool once you consider how so many industry experts were picking them to finish last in the Northeast Division.

The Senators have the pieces to be buyers at the deadline, make no mistake about that. They have a lot of young players who are playing well this season, and you can rest assured that some of them are already being coveted in front offices across the league.

But therein lies the rub. You have to give up something good to get something good, and the Senators don't necessarily have to do that seeing as how the going is already good.

As Melnyk put it, there's no point in "screwing around with a good thing." The team's brass doesn't need to fix what ain't broke.

Ultimately, Melnyk says it will be up to the players.

“But if they are behind it, this is the one time you let the players speak and they’ll tell you in a heartbeat, yeah, we need this and we need that and that’s it," he said.

The Senators really can't lose no matter what they do. If they make a deal to bring in a talented player or two, their chances of making a run at the Stanley Cup will get better by default. If they don't make a move, they'll be banking on the tidal wave they've ridden all season to get them to the finals anyway.

Even if the Senators fall short, this season will still have been a victory. They'll still have their young players, and they'll know for a fact that their rebuilding phase is well ahead of schedule. They can easily sit back and trust that things are going to be better in 2012-2013.

Either way, you're going to want to keep an eye on the Senators in the coming weeks. Their actions will determine whether the time to go for it all is now or later.

If you look at my top six teams from last week, and then look at them this week, you’ll notice that there’s no change.

I didn’t really see any reason to move the Bruins, Red Wings, Canucks, Rangers, Sharks, or Blues from their spots. I had a hard time with the seven, eight and nine spots.

I put the Blackhawks at number seven this week mainly because they have been so great offensively. Then I put the Flyers barely ahead of the Pens for the same reason: They were a little better offensively and the Pens have had recent struggles.

The Predators have impressed me recently, so I moved them up five spots to 10.

Finally, watch out for the Senators, who I think are the second-best Canadian team in the NHL right now. Despite them not having too much goaltending this season, the Sens are so great offensively with guys like Spezza, Alfredsson, Michalek and Foligno.

Here’s how I see the NHL teams from best to worst to this point. (W-L record and statistics mentioned are updated through Sunday morning, January 15.)

1. Boston Bruins (28-12-1)
Last Week: No. 1

The Bruins have lost three of their last seven games! They even lost to the Hurricanes on Saturday! Not to worry, though. There’s still no reason why they shouldn’t be No. 1.

2. Detroit Red Wings (28-15-1)
Last Week: No. 2

It was an interesting week for the Red Wings. They got crushed by the Islanders. All three of their wins last week were either in OT or by a shootout. Despite this, I still think they have the best team in the Western Conference, barely.

3. Vancouver Canucks (28-14-3)
Last Week: No. 3

Like the Red Wings, the Canucks lost one game this week to a mediocre team. They won the rest past regulation. It was a close call this week between Canucks and Wings for the No. 2 spot. Their high-powered offensive unit continues to help them win games.

4. New York Rangers (28-10-4)
Last Week: No. 4

The Rangers are the second-best defensive team in the NHL, in my opinion. They haven’t lost back-to-back games since December 13-15.

5. San Jose Sharks (25-11-5)
Last Week: No. 5

Since January started, the Sharks have played great hockey. They have yet to finish a game this month without getting at least one point out of it. They scored 13 points in the month of January.

6. St. Louis Blues (26-12-6)
Last Week: No. 6

Like the Sharks, the Blues are another team that has played well this month. They have also grabbed at least one point in every game in January.

7. Chicago Blackhawks (26-13-6)
Last Week: No. 9

Despite not playing well so far this month, the Blackhawks had a decent week. They recorded five points in their three games, and won two of them by a combined six goals.

8. Philadelphia Flyers (26-13-4)
Last Week: No. 7

It was not a very positive week for the Flyers. They beat the two bad teams this week, but they lost to the two teams that have a combined 50 wins.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins (22-17-4)
Last Week: No. 8

The Pens finally broke their six-game losing streak by beating the Panthers on Friday night. I would’ve moved them down more, but they still have a solid offensive unit and good goaltending. It could be worse for these guys.

10. Nashville Predators (25-15-4)
Last Week: No. 15

Since they were crushed by the Stars last week, the Preds have played great hockey. They won their last four games by a combined nine goals—and that made me move them up five spots. They are getting hot at a great time.

11. Ottawa Senators (25-15-6)
Last Week: No. 22

This team gets my “Team of the Week” award. They  won each of their four games last week by a combined 10 goals. Offensively, they have picked it up big time as well as getting much more help from their goaltending. As I mentioned earlier, they get my vote as the second-best hockey team in Canada.

12. Los Angeles Kings (22-15-8)
Last Week: No. 17

Apparently, the Kings just figured out that they can actually score a goal. They scored 13 of them in their three games this week. Their only loss this week was in a shootout to the Stars.

13. Toronto Maple Leafs (22-17-5)
Last Week: No. 10

The Leafs have gone flat offensively this week. They scored only four goals in their three games.

14. Washington Capitals (23-17-2)
Last Week: No. 11

The Capitals didn’t impress me too much this week. After getting blown out by the Kings, they got two one-goal victories.

15. New Jersey Devils (25-17-2)
Last Week: No. 14

Like the Caps, the Devils followed up their blowout loss to the Flames with two victories by a goal each.

16. Phoenix Coyotes (20-18-7)
Last Week: No. 12

Since December 20 and 21, the Coyotes have yet to win back-to-back games. They have won only two of their last 11.

17. Dallas Stars (24-18-1)
Last Week: No. 13

It was an inconsistent week for the Stars. There was a blowout loss to the lowly Ducks, then they barely squeezed by the Kings, then they lost a defensive battle to the Avalanche.

18. Minnesota Wild (22-16-7)
Last Week: No. 16

The Wild continue to play very poorly. They have just two victories in their last 13 games.

19. Colorado Avalanche (24-20-2)
Last Week: No. 19

I'm not sure what to make of the Avalanche right now. They had three straight losses, then they barely squeezed by the Stars.

20. Florida Panthers (21-14-8)
Last Week: No. 20

The Panthers played only two games last week and won one of them by a single goal. The Panthers continue to have one of the worst offensive teams in the league.

21. Montreal Canadiens (16-20-8)
Last Week: No. 18

The Habs continue to move down the standings and power rankings. They have only three wins in their last 13 games.

22. Edmonton Oilers (16-23-4)
Last Week: No. 21

The Oilers haven’t won two games in a row since November 22-25.

23. Winnipeg Jets (20-19-5)
Last Week: No. 23

Since 2012 began, the Jets haven’t played well. They have only one victory in their six January games so far.

24. Buffalo Sabres (19-20-5)
Last Week: No. 24

Since their four-game winning streak ended in early November, the Sabres have yet to win at least two in a row. They have a 9-15-0 record in their last 24 games.

25. Calgary Flames (21-20-5)
Last Week: No. 25

As I mentioned once before, the Flames are a very confusing hockey team to watch. They had a three-game winning streak followed by a four-game losing streak. They won four in a row, then they lost five straight. Then they won three of their last four. Again, the Flames are streaky and inconsistent.

26. Anaheim Ducks (14-22-7)
Last Week: No. 30

The Ducks are still not a very strong hockey team, but they have won four of their last five games. It would be five straight if they had scored a goal in regulation against the Flames on Thursday night.

27. New York Islanders (16-20-6)
Last Week: No. 28

The Islanders had an impressive four-goal win over the Red Wings. That's the only reason why I moved them up one spot.

28. Carolina Hurricanes (16-23-7)
Last Week: No. 27

Their goaltending has been a little better recently. They gave up only six goals in their last three games. They have also won their last two. If they play better defensively, they could start to slowly rise up the standings. 

29. Tampa Bay Lightning (17-22-4)
Last Week: No. 26

I’m sure the Lightning would like to go back to 2011. Ever since 2012 started, this team has yet to win a game.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets (12-27-5)
Last Week: No. 29

Since November 19-21, the Jackets have yet to win two games in a row.

At the end of the last season, the Ottawa Senators found themselves in a familiar place—another failed campaign resulting in a spot at the bottom of the standings. Owner Eugene Melnyk had seen his team regress from the Stanley Cup finals a few years ago to a lowly lottery-pick team.

General Manager Bryan Murray drew the ire and scorn of Senators fans, experts and analysts, as well as casual observers, many of whom were already calling for his job as soon as they read the writing on the wall in the middle of the season.

"Fire sale!" was the mantra in Canada's capital. "Everything must go!" they said.

Murray didn’t listen to the unconventional and apparently wrong advice of the naysayers and critics. Murray was unwilling to let go of longtime Sens' franchise defenseman and former first-overall draft selection Chris Phillips.

Not only did Murray defiantly keep Phillips on board, he signed the veteran defenseman to a three-year contract extension. Phillips looked like the game might have passed him on as the aging defensemen clearly lost a step or two during the season and was highly ineffective in all situations in which he was placed.

The two remnants of the CASH line, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, were also kept on board to serve as mentors and veteran presences for the supposed new faces of the franchise. Simply put, Alfredsson could have garnered some serious interest in trade negotiations, but in the end trading their longtime captain would have absolutely devastated the franchise and fan base, perhaps to a point where they might not truly ever recover.

Neither Spezza nor Alfredsson produced at the level everyone is used to nor earned the paychecks they cashed.

Another dismal piece that most would have liked to forget was Sergei Gonchar. The elite offensive-defenseman signed for $5.5 million per season and seemed like an experiment gone horribly wrong.

Gonchar was virtually untradeable due to his large cap hit and his 35-plus contract, a contract where even if the player himselfdecides to retire, the organization must pay this player in full and the money spent will go against the cap even if the player is not active.  

There was not a fan in Ottawa who didn’t want Gonchar shipped out of the capital, no matter the consequences.

That was the bad, here is the good: The Senators are sitting at second in their Northeast division and are the fifth seed for the playoffs of the Eastern Conference.

This past summer Ottawa, drafted Swedish sensation and recent World Junior Championship hero Mika Zibanejad and used their extra two first-round picks on wingers Stefan Noesen and Matt Puempel. Murray found a steal in drafting Zibanejad sixth overall as the young Swede was being involved in discussions of who was most deserving of being 2011's top draft choice.

How did they do it?

Well, high-priced forward Milan Michalek is having a superb year. Once the leading goalscorer before an injury offset him, Michalek was doing the Sens' heavy lifting with the help of star center Jason Spezza, who has reaffirmed himself as a legitimate first-line center.

Spezza, who was the subject of trade talk last year, is now scoring at a point-per-game pace. Spezza currently sits at 44 points in 44 games.

Young Erik Karlsson is leading all NHL defensemen in scoring at the age of 21 years old. Karlsson is currently being considered a dark-horse contender for the Norris Trophy as best defenseman in the league. He's getting help from former lost cause Sergei Gonchar, who is putting up a tremendous amount of assists and is scoring at his usual over half-a-point-per-game pace.

Wingers Zack Smith and  Nick Foligno and captain Daniel Alfredsson are all in double-digit scoring, trying to catch up to Milan Michalek who is the lone 20-goal scorer.

Towering rookie defenseman Jared Cowen has exceeded any and all expectations the Senators' management had for him in his first year on the job. Cowen is a huge body who plays a two-way game and has potential through the roof.

Murray wasn't content with the current situation. He traded prized defensive prospect David Rundblad to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for underused Kyle Turris, who was reportedly very unhappy with his situation in Phoenix. Turris signed a two-year deal with the Coyotes out of necessity since the management in the desert was willing to let him be a contract holdout, resulting in a lost season.

So far Turris is melding well with his new team and has assumed a crucial position as second-line center. When one of the fine young wingers is ready to make the jump to the pros, Kurris will reap the benefits and prosper with top-tier talent. As one could speculate, he couldn't be happier with his current situation.

The Senators have come a long way in less than a year. The team was looking at the prospect of having to rid themselves of unwanted contracts and unloading character players and fan favorites in exchange for a bid to build for the future.

Instead, the Senators now have the No. 2 prospect pool in the league according to minor league hockey authority, Hockey's Future (http://www.hockeysfuture.com/nhl_organisation_rankings/). On top of this, the Senators are most likely going to be back in the playoffs while spending a "mere" $51 million, the fifth least amount spent in the entire league.

The Senators are enjoying a renaissance season, which is about to get even better. The Senators will host the 2012 All-Star game as Scotiabank Place on January 29. Four Senators, Daniel Alfredsson, Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek, will start for the Eastern squad. 

Let's face it, the NHL All-Star game has been less than exciting these past couple of years. There's no hitting, no defence, the goalies give up a lot of the easy goals and the players are only skating at half the pace they normally do. Can you blame them though? It is an exhibition game right in the middle of the season, when you are focusing on helping your team get to the playoffs.

If all that isn't bad enough, the NHL gives fans the option of choosing which players should be partaking in this game. I know the other three big leagues of North America (MLB, NBA and NFL) do the same, but isn't it time you actually see deserving players play instead of just home town fan favourites?

Let's take a look at who made the team's starting six this year and compare it to the league leaders in total points and goals.

First six voted:

11,D. ALFREDSSON RW - OTTAWA
TOTAL VOTES: 897,055

19, JASON SPEZZA C - OTTAWA

TOTAL VOTES: 817,483

9, MILAN MICHALEK LW - OTTAWA
TOTAL VOTES: 743,977

65, ERIK KARLSSON  D - OTTAWA
TOTAL VOTES: 939,591

3, DION PHANEUF D - TORONTO
TOTAL VOTES: 614,933

30, TIM THOMAS G - BOSTON
TOTAL VOTES: 626,540

With the game in Ottawa this year, I don't know if it's just me but this seems a little lopsided. Are any of these guys actually deserving of going to the All-Star game this year?

When it comes to total points, Jason Spezza is ranked 13th in the league with 15 goals and 26 assists, for a total of 41 points. To me that makes him at least worthy of getting to the game, but starting? No way. Not when you have guys like Daniel and Henrik Sedin near the 50 point mark, as well as Phil Kessel, Steven Stamkos and Evgeni Malkin.

But perhaps Jason Spezza is a good choice to start for at least one of the teams. There will need to be two centers and he is a hometown player, so for the sake of the Sens fans let's give them some credit and let Spezza be the starting center. But does he deserve to be flanked by not one, but two of his teammates?

Those two teammates are Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek. At least Michalek is one of the top goal scorers. He has 19 on the year but just 26 total points, which ranks him in the 80's. Does a guy who isin't good enough to be in the top 50 deserve to go to an All-Star game, let alone start it?

And how about Captain Alfie. At least he is in the top 50 in the league for total points, but I understand why he get's to start. The Sens fans wanted to give him one last good memory, before they completely tank their season and he retires at the end of the year. So in that case, sure, let's let Alfie start as well.

So far your starting forwards are a centre who is the 13th best scorer in the league, a winger who is about to retire and another winger who is only better than about 10 other players in the whole NHL.

Wow, they may as well change the name of the All-star game to "hometown hockey practices with some friends." That is seriously what the game has become when you let the fans vote. The hockey market for the Senators is huge. Therefore, with the game in their hometown, they are trying to elect as many of their players as possible, deserving or not.

At least they made the right choice with Tim Thomas of the Bruins in net. No complaints there whatsoever. He ranks seventh among goalies in the league in wins, but he has also the least amount of losses among starting goalies with only six. He has a tiny GAA of 1.90 and a fantastic .940 save percentage, which again ranks near the very top in the league amongst goalies.

I'm actually surprised that Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson didn't get voted in the top six with his 19 wins, which ties him for second best in the league. Hey Ottawa, you sure had a case there. What, didn't want to get greedy?

 As for the starting defensemen, what a surprise, another Senator shows up. At least when it comes to Erik Karlsson they got it right. This guy leads the league in scoring for defensemen with 37 points. Actually, he ranks 23rd in the league overall. This is probably the one of four Senators who actually deserves to start the game. Based on his stats and overall play he is an All-Star.

He will be accompanied by Maple Leafs defensemen Dion Phaneuf. As a Leafs fan it's great to see our captain make the roster. As an NHL columnist, I don't think he deserves to be a top six starter. There are a couple of guys that I would think deserve it over him, but again that's what happens when you let the fans vote, especially in the large markets like Toronto and Ottawa. I would have much preferred to see Phil Kessel starting over Phaneuf, but it's not up to me, not entirely anyways.

Because of the way the game is played now, there's no guarantee that these six guys will end up on the same team as it is now done by a draft. However, these six will be on the ice in one way or another when the puck is dropped in Ottawa.

The NHL needs to send the right people to the All-Star game and that means taking away the fans votes. Or maybe making the vote count for the final six players after the rest of the roster has been announced. I don't know if this would work, but at least you know that the guys who are working their butts off and having career years are going to get to add the tag All-Star next to their name.

If the NHL truly sent the All-Stars to the All-Star game, the starting six should have been:

Claude Giroux - Henrik Sedin - Daniel Sedin
Erik Karlsson - Shea Weaber
Jimmy Howard

For someone who doesn’t consider himself to be a big goal scorer, Daniel Alfredsson, who recently reached another impressive milestone, seems to be pretty adept at putting the puck in the net.

The night of December 30 couldn’t have been better scripted for the respected veteran leader of the Ottawa Senators, a player who noted, "I’ve never really been the type of guy to score a lot of goals, even when I played back home in Sweden."

His career numbers beg to differ.

In front of a packed house, including friends and family, in a home game against the Calgary Flames, it was Alfredsson, in search of his 400th career NHL goal, who gave everyone, his parents and teammates included, a memory to last a lifetime.

With the game in overtime and the Senators on the power play, the Ottawa captain took a short pass and blasted home the game-winning tally, earning his team a valuable two points, with the Swedish superstar becoming the 86th player in the history of the league to reach 400 goals.

“I don’t think I could have ever dreamed that type of moment up, even if I tried really, really hard,” Alfredsson told NHLPA.com, just one night after he scored another extra-frame winner in a 3-2 home triumph over the New Jersey Devils. “It was a very special night and I’m very fortunate to have done it with my parents in the crowd and in front of our home fans.”

Drafted 133rd overall in 1994, Alfredsson has played every game of his NHL career with the Senators, holding a slew of franchise records, including goals, assists and points. The right winger, who won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in his first NHL season in 1995–96, has played for Sweden internationally 13 times, including the 2006 gold-medal winning Olympic squad.

He was the 75th player to reach 1,000 career points in the NHL, scoring three times in a win over the Buffalo Sabres on October 22, 2010.

Yet for all his individual accomplishments, the 39-year-old has relished the opportunity to share his accolades and honours with those closest to him.

“That’s one of the most special things about it all,” said Alfredsson, who recorded a career-high 103 points in 2005-06. “I really wanted to be able to get the 400th goal with my parents here because they’ve obviously done so much for me and supported me throughout the years.”

Alfredsson was also touched by the reaction of his teammates.

“I remember right after the goal everyone started jumping,” recalled the 5’11”, 205-pounder. “It was a great feeling to share that with the guys. I think (teammate and fellow Swede) Erik Karlsson was even more excited than me.

“Whether it was the young players, or guys like Jason Spezza, Chris Phillips and Chris Neil, who have all been here with me for a long time, it was very meaningful to see how happy they were for me.”

The native of Gothenburg is humbled by the company he now keeps.

“When you look at the players who have scored 400 goals, and a lot of them are better at scoring goals than me, it’s unbelievable,” admitted the father of four sons. “You feel lucky and you feel very fortunate in so many ways.”

With four NHLPA-recognized milestones (1,000 games played, 400 goals, 600 assists and 1,000 points) to his name, there aren’t too many individual marks Alfredsson hasn’t experienced.

But true to his nature, Alfredsson’s main goal is to see the Senators succeed.

Considered a longshot to nail down a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference in 2011-12, Ottawa, who missed out on last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, find themselves in the thick of the postseason race.

“We have a determined group of guys and we have great support from our fans,” noted Alfredsson, who has recorded two 40-goal NHL campaigns. “It would be great to deliver a championship to the city.”

As for the latest big moment in his career, Alfredsson, who, along with teammates Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek, were voted by the fans as starters for the upcoming All-Star Game in Ottawa, still can’t quite believe how it all unfolded.

“It was going to happen, but to come at home, with my parents in the crowd, and winning the game, I don’t think it could have been any better.”

Visit NHLPA.com for more player news and videos.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

Letting fans decide who should start in the All-Star game in any sport has its shortcomings, and the NHL is no exception.

On Thursday, it was announced that four of the six players voted in by the fans are members of the Ottawa Senators (Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson).

Not four players from the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins or the leaders of the West, such as the Vancouver Canucks or the Chicago Blackhawks—but the mediocre Ottawa Senators, who currently are sixth in the East and will surely be in a dogfight just to make the playoffs.

It’s no coincidence that Ottawa is hosting the All-Star game and, as a result, put an aggressive marketing campaign together throughout the seven-week voting period.

Even the Ottawa City Council got involved, as Mayor Jim Watson held an election rally outside of City Hall to help give potential voters one last push.

The message on Watson’s website read the following:

"For all that our Ottawa Senators do for our community, wouldn't it be great to have Daniel [Alfredsson] and his teammates in the starting line up at the 2012 All Star game in Ottawa!"

Sure, but wouldn’t it be even better if Alfredsson and his teammates were actually Stanley Cup contenders?

Of course, if the Stanley Cup were also decided by fan balloting, the Senators would have a dynasty with the way they encouraged their fans to vote.

Perhaps what the city of Ottawa doesn’t realize is that, by pushing four of their own players into the starting lineup, two of which don’t even deserve to be in the game at all, they’ve defeated the entire purpose of letting the fans make the decisions.

The All-Star game is meant to showcase the players that are having the very best seasons in an exhibition match for all the fans to see.

It’s not just for the fans in the host city. If that were the case, the NHL may as well just let the All-Stars from the other 29 teams face off against the entire Senators roster.

Of course, no one in Ottawa would want that because it wouldn’t be a fair matchup, and they’d rather watch a game full of stars as opposed to their own third- and fourth-liners.

Well, here’s a news flash. The fans from the other 29 cities would like to see a fair voting process, and they’d rather watch a game full of the best players of the 2011-12 season, as opposed to watching two players that aren’t even in the top 60 in points (Alfredsson and Michalek) take the roster spots of a pair of more deserving players.

But these are the problems that always have and always will face the NHL and the other major sports leagues when they let the fans have a say.

In the past, the fans have voted injured players to the All-Star game.

This season, the voting was ruled by the teams that actually cared enough to promote the voting process and the fanbases that cared enough to sit around and vote 30 times per email address.

At the end of the day, when the sole purpose of the All-Star game is the fans, you can’t take them out of the selection process completely.

However, the NHL might want to think about scaling back the amount of times that one person is allowed to vote and limiting the amount of players per team that wind up on the ballot in order to avoid this type of embarrassment again.

After all, when the top 15 vote-getting forwards and seven of the top eight vote-getting defensemen come from just six teams, it’s pretty obvious that something needs to be altered in the process.

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