You are in the middle of voting for this year’s all stars.  But, wait.  You cannot find the New Jersey Devils left winger Zach Parise on the forwards list.  Don’t worry because NY Rangers forward Chris Drury and Toronto Maple Leafs skater Jason Blake are still available.

If the NHL wants fans to watch the best players in the league, why did they omit Parise’s name?

Statistically, Parise maintains a stronghold on both of his competitors.  While Drury and Blake have both scored 20 points thus far, Parise has 32.  While they are tied for 80th place among active scorers, Parise is tied for 18th.

Parise’s Devils were in first place entering a Sunday evening matchup at Madison Square Garden and the Rangers were in second in the Atlantic and Toronto in fourth respectively in the Northeast division.

So, why did the league exclude Parise’s name from the ballot?

Hmm…Let’s see.

Money?

Chris Drury was signed to a five-year, $35.25 million dollar contract during the offseason and Blake’s 5-year contract is worth $20 million.  Parise is only making two million this season and two-and-a-half the following year, clearly less than his two challengers.

I know that the league is going in the right directions in terms of television contracts and other factors but I do not believe that the league could leave out Parise’s name due to financial claims.

Length of Service:

Drury is a veteran of the NHL, former Stanley Cup Champion, and well known around the league since 1998.  Blake scored 40 goals last season and has also been around longer (since 1999) than Parise’s two professional 82-game seasons.

This is definitely a viable option and makes a lot more sense than the money excuse.

Statistics:

Blake put a career-best 40 by goaltenders last season, while Drury’s 30-30 (69 points) was barely better than Parise’s 30-30 (62 points).

No arguments here either.

Location, Circumstance:
Jason Blake played for the NY Islanders last year and was publicly diagnosed with a rare but highly treatable form of cancer this past October.

Chris Drury plays for the Rangers, a team that receives a lot more media attention than Parise’s Devils, who are stationed in their brand new Prudential Center in downtown Newark.

There you have it.  For whatever reason, Zach Parise will not be participating in the 2008 NHL All-Star game hosted by the Atlanta Thrashers at the Phillips Arena on Sunday January 27th, 2008 (3 p.m. tip-off).

But, Drury and Blake might be.

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