Today’s NHL All-Star Game is a joke. Recently, the lack of interest was dismissed as a result of playing in cities like Atlanta that can barely support their own franchises. Although this year’s game is in the hockey-crazed city of Montréal, it is little more than a corporate gimmick. When the All-Star first originated, it was an opportunity for fans to see the NHL’s greatest players on one sheet of ice. Back then, the game even meant something to the players. Now, it’s evolved into a weekend of corporate sponsorship and merchandise as the NHL desperately tries to increase profits. Even though fans packed the Bell Centre in Montréal’s centennial year, the players, the media, and much of the American market still remain uninterested in a game with no significance.

The All-Star game is supposed to be a collection of hockey’s brightest stars. Yet as a result of fan balloting, none of the top four teams in the NHL were represented in the starting lineups. Instead, ballot stuffing by Montréal fans led to four Canadiens voted in alongside Penguins’ players Sidney Crosby (who didn’t play) and Evgeni Malkin. The Western Conference was no better, as both San Jose and the defending Stanley Cup Champions Red Wings were unrepresented while a resurgent Chicago and stumbling Anaheim filled the six available starting spots. It’s ridiculous that the starting lineups were filled by four teams when none of these teams are even leading their respective divisions.

On top of the fans, the NHL makes the game more of a farce. As an unofficial rule, each team is supposed to be represented by at least one player. Instead of seeing the best players in the game, Keith Tkachuk of the St. Louis Blues will play while Marián Hossa of the Red Wings stays at home. The way the All-Star Game is set up, too few teams are represented in the starting lineup and too many teams are represented on the roster.

Even after the players have been picked (deserving or not), many players simply don’t want to play. The Red Wings had two players appointed to the roster, Nicklas Lidström and Pavel Datsyuk, but both chose to skip the game to rest their insignificant injuries. Younger players are also uninterested in being present at the All-Star weekend, as Steve Mason of Columbus and Nicklas Bäckström of Washington have both opted out of the YoungStars Game. Though Roberto Luongo has refused to go to games in the past, he is only in attendance this year due to his Montréal-area upbringing.

The NHL has dealt with the lack of interest by enforcing an unofficial rule that players who miss the All-Star Game will receive a one-game suspension. On Tuesday, Detroit will be forced to play without their two All-Stars. Although Sidney Crosby didn’t play, he avoided suspension because he attended the festivities in Montréal. Meanwhile, both Steve Mason and Nicklas Bäckström will play for their clubs on Tuesday as there is no unofficial rule for the YoungStars Game. It’s ridiculous that the NHL has had to resort to forcing players to participate in an event that is supposed to showcase the best of hockey.

Finally, regardless of fan voting and player interest, the game itself is far from a typical NHL game. Instead, the score is commonly above the 10-goal mark for each team, while the concept of defence is completely forgotten.

If the NHL is trying to grow, it would accomplish the task much better with a game that matters like the Winter Classic, where players actually play with intensity. The NHL is unlikely to separate itself from the All-Star Game despite recent discussion, for one simple reason: no matter who is playing, the All-Star Game makes money. The NHL knows that a weekend of “celebrating” the game creates increased revenue. At worst, it goes a long way to selling the game to corporate sponsors. Until money no longer matters, it is unlikely that the NHL All-Star Game or an all-star game in any sport will go away. But it’s equally unlikely that the game will become any better.