NHL spices up All-Star Game with fantasy draft

There really is no way to fix the NHL All-Star Game and make it more like the product everyone sees during the regular season.

It is what it is — a pickup game with all offense and no hitting.

But the NHL deserves a pat on the back for at least attempting to jazz up Sunday’s game (3 p.m., Versus) to be played in Raleigh, N.C.

For the first time, team captains will choose sides in a live fantasy draft to take place Friday at 7 p.m. on Versus.

Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom, with help from assistant captains Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks and Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis, will pick one team and Carolina Eric Staal choosing the other with input from assistants Ryan Kesler of Vancouver and Washington’s Mike Green.

“I’ve played under all the old formats and this is something new and I think everyone will enjoy it,” said Lidstrom, the Red Wings’ vetern captain.

The all-stars will be waiting in a room for their names to be called.

“We’ll all be together, just like on ‘The Bachelor,’” joked Hawks center Patrick Sharp.

The Hawks have four players in the All-Star Game, more than any other team. Joel Quenneville will coach one of the squads along with assistant Mike Haviland.

A coin flip will determine the first pick, and it might not automatically be Washington’s Alex Ovechkin.

With the game being played in Raleigh, both Staal and Lidstrom have hinted they might take Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward first.

“It might be a good idea to draft Ward and get the fans on our side,” Lidstrom said.

“I’ve been talking to (Red Wings general manager) Kenny Holland and he said to go with defense, that defense wins games,” Lidstrom said. “I don’t think that’s necessarily right in this one.”

The odds are against all four Hawks playing for the same team unless Kane has major influence over Lidstrom.

“I think it would be pretty cool to match up against Toews,” Kane said.

Kane said the only text he has received lobbying for a spot was from former teammate Dustin Byfuglien.

“He told me to pick him,” Kane said.

Nobody wants to be taken last, but it’s going to happen to somebody. More than half the 42 players are safe, including the six captains. The six goalies must be taken by the 10th round and the remaining 10 defensemen must go by the 15th round.

There will be 18 rounds.

“I’m definitely sure you don’t want to go last,” Kane said. “Me and Sharp have been talking about that. He doesn’t want to go last.”

The draft was the brainchild of NHL vice president and former star player Brendan Shanahan to spice up the weekend.

“The old game was losing its luster a little bit,” Detroit’s Holland told the Canadian Press. “You want the All-Star Game to be an opportunity to really showcase your players and for a weekend really grab the attention of the sports world, to a degree.

“Obviously, by changing this format, I certainly think that the Friday night player selection is going to draw a tremendous amount of interest because it’s never been done before.”