When 20 year-old Steve Mason was named as the WJC MVP and the tournament’s top goalie in early 2008, the bar was set high for the youngster. Leading Canada to a Gold Medal that tournament, the 6’3” goaltender has risen above and beyond those standards. Posting a league-best .934 save percentage and being tied for first in the league with five shutouts through 23 games, he is pretty much a shoe-in for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game, right? Wrong.
Mason was snubbed for Anaheim Duck J.S. Giguere (voted as the starter by the fans), Minnesota’s Niklas Backstrom and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo. Giguere gets the fan-favorite vote, and Backstrom has been stellar between the pipes for his club, posting a 2.14 GAA, which places him fourth in the league. But Roberto Luongo has seen limited play this season after suffering a groin injury which has had him sidelined since November 22nd. Even though Luongo is very talented, it is almost an insult to choose him over rookie Steve Mason.
Luongo had an All-Star caliber season before his injury, but the league cannot overlook Mason. “We’re really building off of Mason, he’s been great,” stated team captain and All-Star Rick Nash, “Anything can happen when you have a hot goalie. It can carry you a long way.”
“If you’re going to win in this league you need to have a goalie who gives you a chance to win,” added Columbus Head Coach Ken Hitchcock.
The NHL has always tried to have every team represented in the All-Star Game, and this year was no different. The lone representative for Columbus is Nash, who has notched 17 goals for his club, which puts him in a four-man tie for 20th in the league. He has added 22 assists and 39 points. While these are strong numbers, Mason probably would have been the stronger pick if only one player were to represent the Blue Jackets.
Granted, Mason could be named to play in the NHL YoungStars game, which will pit the best current NHL rookies vs. the best current sophomores. Last season though, the NHL opted to use everyday goalies in the game, which saw the likes of St. Louis’ Manny Legace play against the young players. So that may not be an option for Mason.
Another possibility is that Luongo may not be fully healthy by All-Star Weekend and may decide to sit out for the festivities, which would mean that Mason has another shot at getting the call.
Western All-Star Head Coach Mike Babcock should have looked at the numbers a little more closely and talked to a few more coaches before he finalized his roster. Steve Mason would have been a delight to see play against the East’s best for an entire weekend.
Keywords: Columbus Blue Jackets, J.S. Giguere, Ken Hitchcock, Mike Babcock, NHL, Niklas Backstrom, Rick Nash, Roberto Luongo, Steve Mason
