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What about the fighting all-stars? Carcillo and Shelley choose their own sides

Ottawa Senators v Philadelphia Flyers

<> on January 20, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jim McIsaac

We’ve seen plenty of stuff from everyone wondering out loud about who Eric Staal and Nick Lidstrom will be choosing on Friday night (note: We’ll be doing the same thing here with our mock draft at 4 p.m. ET) for the All-Star Game on Sunday but as you may have noticed there’s a distinct aspect of the game that’s very much missing from the festivities.

After all, if you think there’s going to be any fighting during the All-Star Game perhaps you’ve just missed virtually every All-Star Game ever played. It’s the one aspect to the NHL that doesn’t find its way into the league’s grand mid-season exhibition.

Of course, if there was to be fighting in the All-Star Game and enforcers were tossed into a selection pool who would they pick to go to war with? Philadelphia’s Dan Carcillo and Jody Shelley were asked to do just that by Philly.com’s Ed Barkowitz and they both came up with a lineup of sluggers that only their mothers could love.

Aside from both Shelley and Carcillo choosing each other to be on their own personal goon squad (does that make it a bromance?) their lineups are rather interesting to see.

Team Carcillo: Shelley, George Parros, Paul Bissonnette, Chris Neil, Deryk Engelland, and Shawn Thornton

Team Shelley: Carcillo, Zenon Konopka, Colton Orr, Brandon Prust, Jared Boll, and George Parros


Funny to see Carcillo pick Thornton because those two famously squared off at the Winter Classic in Boston in 2010 concluding with Carcillo saluting the fans at Fenway Park like a conquering hero would. Also it’s fun to see Biz Nasty make an appearance on that list. Of course, that just makes us wish Carcillo was on Twitter to see what kind of verbal sparring would go on between those two former Penguins farm hands. Engelland is the most fearsome selection here as his ability to knock out heavyweights this season has been a revelation for hockey fight fans.

Team Shelley is a team that actually seems like one that has the parts to it to make up a pretty good and obnoxious fourth line. Picture Konopka centering a line with Prust and either Orr or Parros on the right wing. Terrifying physical possibilities there and both Konopka and Prust have abilities that go beyond punching someone in the face. Of course, when all else fails throwing Colton Orr out there to beat heads (or knees) in is a fine failsafe to have.

It’s fun to ponder the possibilities of seeing a WWE King of the Ring brand of thing at the All-Star Game to see who the King of the Ice is when it comes to putting on the foil and while we get why they don’t do that at all, think of the fun we could have with that. I’m sure the PR folks around the league would hate it but that’s all part of the fun too.