The All-Star Voting Experiment

Unlike Major League Baseball, the NHL knows that the all-star game is an exhibition and a chance for all parties involved to have fun. So, as you've no doubt heard by now, the 2011 edition (Jan. 30 in Raleigh, N.C.) will have a whole new format: The 42 all-stars will be selected by the fans (three forwards, two defensemen and one goalie) and NHL Hockey Operations (the other 36 players) -- but the two captains (chosen by the players) will divvy up the squads.

Goodbye East vs. West. Hello Sidney Crosby's Crybabys vs. Alex Ovechkin's Gr8s. (Or something like that.)

Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom and Mike Green are the only Caps on the ballot. There's room to write in players, so one could add Alex Semin, John Carlson and Michal Neuvirth for an all-Washington ballot.

The hardest part of this process (for the non-homers) is that it's less than a quarter of the way into the NHL season and it's quite difficult to pick who truly is an all-star. But, since the game is just for fun, who cares?

Ovechkin is a virtual lock and Mr. Cleo is pretty sure there will be others joining him. But it should be noted that Ovie was the lone Caps' rep at the 2009, 2008, and 2007 games and the Caps haven't had two all-stars since the 2003 game.

For now, you can start dreaming of different combinations and thinking about possible match-ups (Semin vs. Ovechkin, for example). And remember that, in the end, the game doesn't matter.