If you're a regular reader of Empty Netters, you can probably tell we love hockey.

We love it because you have to pay the price in order to play it. You have to possess the physical endurance of a marathon runner and combine that with the toughness of Mickey Rourke's face. You can't dog it. If you go half-speed, you'll end up like Alexandre Daigle who had all the talent in the world but very little heart.

Out of the four major team sports (if you still count hockey) in North America, hockey is the only one where everyone on your roster needs to demonstrate these qualities. Hitting or pitching a baseball requires years and years of training, but any tubby piece of lard like Cecil Fielder or David Wells can do it.

In basketball, there's always going to be room for goofy centers like Greg Ostertag or Matt Geiger who don't have an athletic bone in their body. Their only credential to be in the NBA is that they were lucky enough to have the genetics that made them seven feet tall. And we gave up on the NBA as fans in 2004 when Kobe Bryant and the Lakers essentially gave up in the 2004 NBA Finals and were beaten by a less-talented Pistons team that simply out-worked them. Could you imagine Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin giving up in a Stanley Cup final simply because they were down 3-1 in the series?

Football is the one sport most similar in football in this regard. Most NFL players stay in shape 365 days a year. Athletes like Troy Polamalu, Dwight Freeney and Terrell Owens are some of the most impressive physical specimens you will encounter. And you can't go half-speed or be soft in this sport or you will get run over. But you can't tell us "athletes" like Casey Hampton, Hank Fraley, Ted Washington or Shawn Andrews could hang in the NHL.

In the NHL, even goons who can't skate or handle the puck are in shape. Andre Roy or Donald Brashear probably could run a marathon.

You could argue part of the reason the Penguins never won a third Stanley Cup title was their attitude after winning the first two. Rumors of a lax "country club" atmosphere always seemed to dog the franchise until Kevin Constantine arrived on the scene. They had the talent to win a third title, just not the commitment.

The point of this whole diatribe is that we didn't watch the All-Star Game last night for the reasons outlined above. The game possesses none of the qualities we've describe. Watching Brian Campbell "defend" Joe Thornton with less effort than Alex Rodriguez puts out in running down a first base line.

So don't expect too much out of us over this farce of a game. We're waiting until real hockey returns Tuesday.

STAAL'S YOUNG, BUT NOT THAT YOUNG

One thing we did waste some time on concerning the All-Star Game was the MVP. Eric Staal won it last night and we wondered if he was the youngest player to ever win the award. After all he is only 23.

Well it turned out there were seven younger winner than him.

The ages of every All-Star Game MVP at the time they won the award:

Year	Player, Team	Age
1985	Mario Lemieux, Penguins	19 years, 4 months, 4 days
2003	Dany Heatley, Thrashers	22 years, 12 days
1983	Wayne Gretzky, Oilers	22 years, 13 days
1988	Mario Lemieux, Penguins	22 years, 4 months, 4 days
1973	Greg Polis, Penguins	22 years, 5 months, 22 days
1991	Vincent Damphousse, Maple Leafs	23 years, 1 month, 2 days
2008	Eric Staal, Hurricanes	23 years, 2 months, 29 days
1986	Grant Fuhr	23 years, 4 months, 7 days
1972	Bobby Orr, Bruins	23 years, 10 months, 5 days
1990	Mario Lemieux, Penguins	24 years, 3 months, 16 days
1982	Mike Bossy	25 years, 18 days
1981	Mike Liut, Blues	25 years, 1 month, 3 day
1984	Don Maloney, Rangers	25 years, 4 months, 26 days
1977	Rick Martin, Sabres	25 years, 5 months, 30 days
1962	Eddie Shack, Maple Leafs	25 years, 7 months, 25 days
1963	Frank Mahovlich, Maple Leafs	19 years, 4 months, 4 days
1974	Garry Unger, Blues	19 years, 4 months, 4 days
2002	Eric Daze, Blackhawks	26 years, 6 months
1978	Billy Smith, Islanders	27 years, 1 month, 12 days
1994	Mike Richter, Rangers	27 years, 4 months
1992	Brett Hull, Blues	27 years, 5 months, 9 days
1975	Syl Apps, Jr., Penguins	27 years, 5 months, 20 days
1998	Teemu Selanne, Mighty Ducks	27 years, 6 months, 15 days
1989	Wayne Gretzky, Kings	28 years, 12 days
2000	Pavel Bure, Panthers	28 years, 10 months, 6 days
1997	Mark Recchi, Canadiens	28 years, 11 months, 17 days
1976	Pete Mahovlich, Canadiens	29 years, 3 months, 10 days
2007	Daniel Briere, Sabres	29 days, 3 months, 18 days
1968	Bruce Gamble, Maple Leafs	29 years, 7 months, 23 days
1980	Reggie Leach, Flyers	29 years, 9 months, 13 days
2001	Bill Guerin, Bruins	30 years, 2 months, 26 days
1967	Henri Richard, Canadiens	30 years, 10 months, 20 days
1969	Frank Mahovlich, Red Wings	31 days, 11 days
1970	Bobby Hull, Blackhawks	31 years, 17 days
1971	Bobby Hull, Blackhawks	32 years, 16 days
1964	Jean Beliveau, Canadiens	33 years, 1 month, 10 days
1993	Mike Gartner, Rangers	33 years, 3 months, 8 days
2004	Joe Sakic, Avalanche	34 years, 7 months, 1 day
1996	Raymond Bourque, Bruins	35 years, 11 months, 23 days
1965	Gordie Howe, Red Wings	37 years, 6 months, 20 days
1999	Wayne Gretzky, Rangers	37 years, 11 months, 29 days

As with most of the lists we come up with, this one is pretty much meaningless. Especially considering it concerns the All-Star Game.

NOTES:

-The Eastern Conference won the game 8-7.

-Evgeni Malkin had two assists. Sergei Gonchar had none.

-Game Summary.

-Event Summary.

-Apparently, even with Sidney Crosby not there, there were some half-way decent players in Atlanta this weekend.

-Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette called the game a charade.

-Was it us, or did the Eastern Conference's Reebok Reebok Edge-Super-Duper-Mega-Ultra-Awesome-Humungo-Women-Will-Want-You Uniform System jerseys make them look like clowns?

EMPTY NETTER ASSISTS

Penguins

-According to Jonathan Bombulie of the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice, the Penguins recalled defenseman Alain Nasreddine and forward Nathan Smith from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

-Why does the NHL want to play in Europe?

-Should the Penguins be playing in Sweden next season? You can vote on it here.

-Sean Collins and Kevin Croxton each had four-point games for the Wheeling Nailers in a 6-5 shootout win at Trenton.

-Random YouTube find of the day: Jay Caufield fighting John Kordic of the Capitals twice:

(To say Caufield was "not very strong on his skates" is like saying Josh Baskin wasn't very mature.)

Central Division

-The Red Wings advised then prospect Nicklas Lidstrom to not attend the 1989 draft. They wanted to keep him a secret so they could draft him.

Pacific Division

-The Coyotes recalled former Penguins forward prospect Daniel Carcillo and defenseman Matt Jones from San Antonio of the AHL.

-Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger is a good skater:

Patrick Division

-Gary Bettman said the NHL has no immediate plans to expand or relocate any franchises:

-Former Penguins forward Toby Petersen won the fastest skater competition at the AHL's all-star skills competition.