ATLANTA -- There really was only one way for the NHL to deal with the absence of Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby during All-Star weekend.

That was to point to the collection of talented players who did make it to Philips Arena last night for the 56th NHL All-Star Game.

"I think certainly from being the host city here, it's always disappointing to have arguably the best player in the league not here," said Atlanta Thrashers coach/general manager and Eastern Conference assistant coach Don Waddell.

"But I think there is great opportunity for other players that are. There are great players in this league. There are a few exceptional players."

Crosby, last season's NHL scoring champion and MVP, is out for several weeks because of a high ankle sprain. He was the leading vote-getter in All-Star balloting.

"It's too bad," said San Jose center Joe Thornton. "Obviously, the best player in the league should be here, but he's hurt. There's other all-stars, other young talent. It doesn't just revolve around one player, even though he is the best player."

Even someone from the Penguins' most bitter rival had a mix of disappointment that Crosby isn't participating and a feeling that the NHL has enough star power to stand on its own without him.

"Obviously, it would be nice to have him here. I have a little bit of a friendship with him just through juniors," Philadelphia center Mike Richards said.

"But there are a lot of great superstars in the dressing room."

Because of his injury, this likely was truly an All-Star break for Crosby, who was held without a point last year in his first All-Star Game. He made several appearances and did tapings for the NHL during that trip to Dallas and no doubt would have been whisked here and there all weekend in Atlanta.

"As important as Sidney's presence is because he's such a great star -- and we'd love to have him here and we wish him a speedy recovery -- I don't think one player can determine this game," league commissioner Gary Bettman said. "For better or for worse, when you play an All-Star Game in the middle of the season in a sport where injuries are a fact of life, this is going to happen.

"I'm sure Sidney misses being here as much as we miss having him here. ... I think All-Star Games are entitled to be fun and entertaining and an opportunity to see a broad cross-section of our stars and ... is something that shouldn't be determined on the basis of one player's presence or not."

Bettman said the league is interested in staging more outdoor games after the success of the Jan. 1 Winter Classic, where the Penguins beat the host Buffalo Sabres, 2-1, in a shootout before 71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.

"We learned a lot about the logistics of doing it," Bettman said. "While it was a great event, I think there are things we can do even better."

Specifically, Bettman said the NHL would like to allow more time for rink construction.

"It's not something we want to overdue," he said. "We want it to remain special. Lots of other clubs and stadiums have approached us. We will do another one. I can't tell you where or when."

Waddell took over as the Thrashers coach after the team started 0-6. That gave him a new perspective on coaching.

"Now that I've done both jobs, I know one thing: Coaches aren't paid enough money," Waddell said.

To which Detroit and Western Conference coach Mike Babcock added, "I hope someone's writing that down somewhere."

Willie O'Ree, who 50 seasons ago broke the NHL's color barrier by playing with Boston, was honored during the first intermission. ... Bettman, on the league's push to be more environmentally friendly and help fight global warming: "We, of all organizations, don't want to see the ice melting."