It’s a Labor of Love for NHL Stars

As these things go -- and the best way for an All-Star game to go is quickly and without bloodshed or dental damage -- the NHL’s 54th All-Star game was remarkable only for something that didn’t appear on the score sheet.

And that was that players took the game seriously, albeit not in the sense the league might have hoped.

They dished out a few hits in the East’s 6-4 victory over the West at Xcel Energy Center, though most involved West winger Keith Tkachuk and his pal and vaudeville partner, East center Jeremy Roenick. Colorado center Joe Sakic was outstanding in scoring three times and winning most-valuable-player honors in a losing cause. The goalies were fine, and Minnesota’s Dwayne Roloson made several spectacular stops in the third period that merited the chants he got from his hometown crowd.

In the end, though, nostalgia outweighed intensity.

With contentious labor talks creating an uncertain future, nearly every player acknowledged having wondered if this was his last All-Star game for a while, if not forever. With that in mind, they took their children, nieces, nephews, parents and cameras with them everywhere to share and preserve precious memories.

“I brought my whole family on the assumption this will be my last one,” Roenick said. “I’m expecting it to be the last one for a while, but I’m hoping it’s not.”

Tkachuk said he had his two sons, 6 and 4, close by all weekend because he didn’t know if they would have such a chance again. Looking at 4-year-old Brady in the West locker room, he said, “Did you see J.R. hit Daddy?” The boy nodded vigorously and replied, “Yes, but you hit him back!”

Indeed, he did. The Tkachuk-Roenick byplay was partly choreographed -- Roenick said he told Tkachuk beforehand to expect to be bumped but claimed Tkachuk’s retaliation went overboard -- but it provided amusing moments for the enthusiastic crowd of 19,434 in the self-proclaimed “State of Hockey.”

Fans lustily booed Vancouver’s Todd Bertuzzi, remembering his rugged play in the Wild’s second-round playoff series against the Canucks last season. And displaying their knowledge and sense of history, they gave a warm ovation to 43-year-old New York Ranger center Mark Messier, who scored a goal and recorded an assist in his 15th All-Star game.

“You never know what tomorrow brings,” said Messier, who invited several family members to Minnesota for the weekend. “It’s always nice to go out with a win, that’s for sure....

“I didn’t expect [the ovation]. I just tried to play an honest game, a hard game.”

His linemates, Ranger teammate Jaromir Jagr and Washington’s Robert Lang, paid their own tribute by trying to set him up at every opportunity. Jagr, especially, was impressed by the applause Messier received.

“It’s special. He deserved it,” Jagr said. “I don’t know how many years he’s played in the league -- 25 maybe -- and he won a lot of Stanley Cups. This one is maybe the last All-Star game he’s in.

“You always try to help him. He helped a lot of players during his hockey career and you want to make it special for him and give something back.”

Jagr and Messier assisted on the East’s first goal, by New York Islander defenseman Adrian Aucoin, at 5:44 of the first period. Sakic tied it at 13:37 on a close-in shot against Martin Brodeur.

Ottawa center Daniel Alfredsson gave the East a 2-1 lead 51 seconds into the second period, but Sakic, sent in alone on a pass by Markus Naslund, pulled the West even at 5:44. Phoenix’s Shane Doan put the West ahead at 13:02 when he beat Jose Theodore from close range, but Messier, Gary Roberts and Alfredsson scored in a span of 4 minutes 16 seconds against Nashville’s Tomas Vokoun to put the East ahead for good.

Ilya Kovalchuk of Atlanta padded the East’s lead to 6-3 when he converted a breakaway at 4:03 of the third period, and the West wrapped up its scoring when Sakic got behind the East defense to complete his hat trick at 7:22.

King defenseman Mattias Norstrom, the team’s lone All-Star, diplomatically called the game special because of the hospitable atmosphere and fan-oriented attractions. However, he said he was more concerned about the Kings’ final 28 games than what happened Sunday or what might happen after the labor deal expires Sept. 15.

“There’s time to figure out those things in the summertime and early fall,” he said.

“It’s going to be interesting,” said Dallas goalie Marty Turco. “I’m crossing my fingers.”