Defensemen are in very short supply at NHL All-Star Game

By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — There have been 296 players listed as defensemen who have appeared in the NHL so far this season. Only six are All-Stars. Such is the reality for those who play hockey’s most thankless position, one where a player is rarely called upon to score and usually gets noticed only for screwing up. The format of the NHL All-Star Game — where teams will play 3-on-3 in a tournament between teams representing divisions — doesn’t really spark an overwhelming need for defensemen. It’s about scoring, flair, finesse, getting to open space and making the world’s best goaltenders sometimes look like sieves.