Claimed:Final All Star Game for Notable Stars

[Devise 4,475]

Final All Star Game for Notable Stars

 

This season marked a revised All-Star format, one in which teams were drafted by two selected Captains. The other thing that changed was the timing of the game itself. In years past the game would take place at the end of the season, and there was a lot of people who seemed to "phone in" their efforts. Well this years All Star game had a bit more realistic score sheet as it took place during the week of the trade deadline.

 

It was a rather exciting game, that saw Team Phil win 7-5. However for many fans the S47 All Star game will feel bittersweet, as it will be the last time they get to see players from the stacked S40 draft honored as all stars. The S40 draft, one of the better in recent memory will likely go down as producing several hall of fame players. In the All Star game this past year were longtime rearguard converted to forward Lloyd Light, the man on the hunt to make it third all time in scoring in Thomas O"Malley, and a defender who is now getting his personal due in Mason Richardson. The three did not disappoint their fans in the game, combining for 7 points as well as an impressive 5 hits by Light, in an All Star game no less. While they were all on the losing Team Sterling for the game, the three appeared to have a blast at what will be their final All Star festivities.

 

Marking the final game for these three bigger stars, it makes one begin to question who is going to fill the shoes of many of the prominent retiring players at the end of the season and going forward? For so long now, this generation has been dominated by players from the S40-42 drafts. Your talking about names like Karnage, Koenig, 3 Moons, Klose, and McJustice. Those are to go with the 3 names mentioned previously, who will call Season 47 their final season. While not all these names are hanging up their skates at the end of the season, all are entering the final stages in their career. Having the generation dominated by so many prominent players, players drafted near the start of the S40's era means that as they transition out of the league, opportunity after opportunity will open for younger faces to make their mark. Some candidates have already pushed their names forward, trying to rush their number if you will. Names like Koponen, TebowGow, the two Hamilton brothers, Reencarnacion, and Kyanon. But for the most part these players have had solid younger seasons while the big dogs continue to dominate the tops in the league. Will these budding younger All Stars be able to handle the pressure of being the faces of the league? 

 

The sad reality of the VHL is that these players won't have much time to do it either. Even then they will enter the middle, and later stages of their careers before they blink. It is important to note as well, the question isn't if these players can be consistent producers for their respective VHL clubs. The majority of them already do that. No the question is if we will see the type of domination some of those names I mentioned have had. It isn't just O'Malley either. Koenig and Karnage have been beast mode their entire careers. We are talking about players who regularly hit above 100 point per season, and often times even more than that. We are talking about players who even in their final season have full award cabinets. The VHL has very much been a league of era's, and as we exit the era dominated by several prominent offensive contributors, the reaction and response from the remaining "top dogs" in the VHL will very much define the next VHL era. 

 

One hopes that while many fans say goodbye to the stars of the past, they welcome into their minds the stars of now, and of the future. If so, then we can look forward to many more exciting All Star games to come season after season. 

[Kendrick 4,741]

Claimed