Well, it's certainly innovative...

The NHL has experimented with several different formats for its ALl Star Game. For a long time, the Stanley Cup champions played the all stars from the rest of the league. They've also had the all stars from North America play the all stars from therest of the world, and the all stars from each conference play each other.

But starting with this year's game, the teams will be picked the same way we all picked sides in informal baseball and softball games as kids. A pool of all stars will be selected, and two captains will alternately choose from it to form the two teams.

Presumably who goes first will not be determined by throwing a bat and seeing whose hand can come cloest to the knob.