Wayne Gretzky
Article 4

A star-studded wish list

What I would like to see most in Sunday afternoon’s All-Star Game in Toronto?

I would like to see Sharks winger Owen Nolan -- or somebody -- point to a spot in the net where he is going to put the puck the way Nolan did against Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek in the 1997 All-Star Game at San Jose.

I would like to see Pavel and Valeri Bure play on the same line and display their great speed for a hat trick.

Heck, I would like to see the way the coaches planned the lineups for this star-studded game and how they change some of the lines and defense pairings based on what they see in the game. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the coaches room for 10 minutes. Wouldn’t that be great?

I would like to see Curtis Joseph bring the house down at Air Canada Centre by stoning Toronto teammate Mats Sundin on a breakaway to help atone for the goal Sundin got against him in the skills competition Saturday night.

I would like to see Ray Bourque finally win a Stanley Cup before he retires.

I would like to see more fresh new stories like rookie Scott Gomez and the success he has had coming out of nowhere to lead the Devils in scoring.

I would like to see Miroslav Satan order a pizza in person and hear the reaction from the pizza man when Miro tells him his name.

I would like to see the NHL give Al MacInnis a pail full of pucks -- instead of just two shots -- to see how much higher than 100.1 mph he could reach with his famed slap shot.

I would like to see the NHL reduce the number of three-games-in-four-nights sets in the schedule so that players like Peter Forsberg, Hasek and Pierre Turgeon could be here in Toronto for the All-Star Game. The league does not like to admit it, but players play with minor nicks too often and favor the injuries to an extent that I still believe leads to more serious injuries.

I would like to see what a Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky or some of the other more recently retired stars could still do against the current group of players.

I would like to see what Mark Messier could do for a contending team now that the Canucks are hopelessly out of the playoff race.

I would like to see the NHL referees really enforce -- I mean, really enforce -- obstruction for an entire season so that fans, old and new to the game, can get excited by this league the way they have for less talented youngsters who have played in the Olympics. It is a great game -- and more people should go to games. I guarantee you they would get hooked on the speed and quickness and excitement hockey offers.

Hey, what can I say, I love hockey. I am passionate about where the game is headed and I wish others who have not seen the game firsthand would get the opportunity to see what I see in this great game.