Think of Ryan Johansen as Prom King Instead of All Star MVP

Earlier this morning in our Three Stars of the NHL All Star Weekend feature, I likened the NHL All Star Weekend to that of a high school prom. You’ve had a bit of time to think it over and dissect it, but if you’re still a bit confused, now is where I’ll explain.

I’ll be honest – in high school, I was adamantly against attending my prom. It wasn’t for religious or moral reasons – it didn’t go against anything I believed or stood for – I just simply didn’t like high school, and wanted no part of it. I was more than content sitting at home and watching whatever on TV. Also, the Braves were playing their first double header in almost two years, and I really wanted to go.

But, alas, I went, and long story short, I’m glad I did. I realized something important about prom; it isn’t just the dance aspect of it (although, that’s what gets played out in movies and pop culture, almost to the point of annoyance). Its the whole night; it’s everyone you’re used to seeing in gym shorts, sweatshirts and hoodies in tuxedos and elegant, over the top dresses. It’s meeting up to take pictures – some very silly, others ones that are rather good looking. It’s the meal, one of the last ones you’ll spend together before graduation (talking senior prom, of course). There’s the dance where the king and queen are named. Then there’s the after party, or depending on your popularity, parties.

The point I’m trying to make here is that it’s much more than just a dance (that, by the way, my little group and I were at for all of 30 minutes). Its about the whole night, everything that encompasses it, that makes “prom” what it is.

Now, to the NHL All Star Game. Sure, its the 60 minutes of the league’s best going at each other, but its also the Skills Competition, the Fan Fair, the Fantasy Draft, the weeks of speculation and fan voting in order to get the stars into the weekend in the first place. When it was all said and done, our Ryan Johansen took home the MVP title of the game, and many fans were, displeased, to say the least. Did he have the best game on the ice? Heavens no, there certainly were a few guys much more appropriate for the title.

But, if you extend his reach from the 60 minutes of game time to the weekend as a whole, now we’re talking.

This year, the league tried a few new things – #NHLBreakawayJohansen took twitter by storm, not only to get Johansen into the Breakaway Competition, but to help him win on the twitter fan vote as well (if you want anyone in Columbus to like you, just dawn an Ohio State jersey. Easy peasy). He was the number one overall draft pick in the Fantasy Draft with his teammate, Nick Foligno, choosing the teams (seriously, like he had a choice) and scored first two period goals, nearly completing the hat trick but, you know, Corey Crawford had to play like it was an actual game.

Much like prom king is a popularity contest, the NHL All Star Game MVP is as well, and Ryan Johansen was the beneficiary of a passionate and rabid fan base that, as I saw it put on twitter, “Could twitter-vote their way into the Stanley Cup.” Which, I don’t even consider to be an insult. Sergei Bobrovsky was nearly on the cover of EA Sports NHL, yall. Just let that sink in.

If none of the above is enough to make you think that Johansen was deserving of being named MVP of the weekend, than look at this tweet.

Chicago did it this year. Montreal did it when they hosted the All Star Game.

Columbus put on one hell of a hockey show. Let us have this. And, stick taps to you, Ryan Johansen. Now, lets go sneak into the playoffs. EVERYONE, TO THE TWITTER VOTE!

*Batman noise*