The 2016 NHL All-Star Game Fan Voting Has Changed

As you guys already know, the All Star Game this year in Nashville will be different. Gone is the traditional game format; new is a 3-on-3 tournament format that will have four teams from each division face off against each other. Usually fans stuff the ballot box for the starters - which is how the results become so lopsided to at least one team in each conference. This year, however, the fans will be voting for the captains, and the leagues will choose the other 40 players. Here is the official press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / NOVEMBER 30, 2015

2016 NHL ALL-STAR FAN VOTE OPENS DECEMBER 1

Fans to Select Four Captains for 2016 Honda NHL® All-Star Game

NEW YORK (November 30, 2015) –The 2016 NHL All-Star Fan Vote™ opens worldwide on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 12 p.m. ET at NHL.com/Vote and hockey fans will determine the four All-Star captains for the 2016 Honda NHL® All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 31 (5 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports).

As part of the new format for the 2016 Honda NHL® All-Star Game, the All-Stars will take part in a three-game tournament, played in a 3-on-3 format, and featuring four teams representing each NHL division. Fans will cast votes online at NHL.com/Vote and via a mobile ballot for one player from each Division, without regard to position. Voting concludes Friday, Jan. 1, with the top vote-getters by division – regardless of position – named All-Stars and captains. The remaining 40 NHL All-Stars will be named by the NHL Hockey Operations Department.

The ballot will include enhanced interactive features, all designed to simplify the player search options for fans, including filtering and sorting by real-time statistics, position, team and a player’s trending status. Each player ballot page will include video highlights and player statistics. Fans will be permitted to select as few as one player and a maximum of four players per ballot. The maximum number of ballots cast per day for each user is 10.

The ballot page at NHL.com/Vote will include a leaderboard of the top vote-getters, as well as trending players. Vote totals will be posted to NHL.com every Tuesday, starting Dec. 8.

How to vote:

· Broadband and tablets: NHL.com/Vote will feature interactive online ballots available in English and French and accessible anywhere in the world.· Mobile users worldwide will be able to cast their votes via a mobile ballot available in English and French using any mobile phone and wireless carrier. The interactive ballot also will be available via the official NHL app for iOS and Androids.· Facebook and Twitter users will be able to share their individual player selections online. Upon submitting a ballot via NHL.com/Vote, fans can send messages inviting others to cast their votes online. Fans also can join the conversation by using the official hashtag #NHLAllStar.

So, basically, we have to choose who to vote for to represent the Central Division.

That choice is simple.

Vote Tarasenko.

While I appreciate the addition of fancy stats to allow voters to make decisions, it's not like anyone has ever voted for a player to be an all-star based on stats alone. While this format may seem to neuter the fan voice, giving more control of the game to the league, let's just take a minute and admit to ourselves that fans are terrible at selecting all stars. While I will miss irrationally voting for every Blue at every position, this format will help prevent a tilt in one team's favor.