Claude Giroux is not on the NHL’s All-Star fan voting ballot, which is absolutely ridiculous on every possible level. Of all the players on the Flyers roster, Giroux is the one dazzling super star. There are obviously plenty of players on the team who are All-Star-caliber, but of all of them, Giroux was born to play in this type of event.
While not taking anything away from Mike Richards, Danny Briere, Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger or Kimmo Timonen who all certainly deserve the honor of being on the ballot, it’s just insane that Giroux’s not there as well.
Fortunately, it likely won’t make a difference.
There are several other ways that Giroux will make his way onto the All-Star roster.
For starters, we have the option of writing any player into the game with our vote. Whether that’s Giroux or Rory Fitzpatrick or Oskars Bartulis, we can get anybody we want into the game.
Really, though, the fan vote doesn’t mean a thing. It’s possible — probably likely — that not one of the Flyers on the ballot will find their way onto the All-Star teams via the fan ballot, as just six players in the entire league will make the team via the fans. Tell me that Giroux or any of the Flyers are one of the six most popular players in the league?
No way. Crosby, Ovechkin, Toews, Stamkos, Malkin, Kane, etc.
Most of this All-Star class will be selected by the NHL’s hockey operations department. To be specific, 36 of the 42 players that will be All-Stars will be named by the league. If Giroux deserves to make the team, the hockey ops department is going to put him in there. Plain and simple.
