not really.. its not like they didnt have any warning or werent told what would happen if they didnt show up.. or werent told they didnt even HAVE TO PLAY just show up... but they chose to ignore what the league (and its GMs) have mandated and they now they face the music.. was it so hard for them to do what sid did and just show up, sign a few autographs, say hi to the kids and then leave? the allstar game isnt "hockey" its shinny... on a nhl rink.. with some of the best players in the world.. its more about showcasing the game and promoting the league and introducing the game to kids, in fact, especially the kids.. in that sense, if players from every team decided to skip the game and all that, who loses? in the end, the players.. crappy players in all star = game doesnt grow = revenues dont grow = escrow grows = less money at the end of the year for the players.
bettman's a fucktard... he expanded too soon to too many non-traditional markets w/o letting them grow and flourish properly, he was too quick to allow teams to leave canada (while doing nothing to stop it unlike his dealings with jim balsillie).. but he actually got this one right.
doc.. the kids awesome.. im a huge sid fan being nova scotian, he being from the Q (even he did play for those whores in rimouski as opposed to the mooseheads
) but ovechkin has flair and passion.. and he acts, well.. "normal" as opposed to most pro athletes who are stoic, say the right things at the right times in the right way.. or in the case of your sens, says the right things at the right time, the right way, while riding a stationary bike...
go fuck yourself.