Sutter skipping all-star game, too

Devils coach Brent Sutter finally admitted after tonight's 7-3 win over Philadelphia that he will not be going to the NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta on Sunday as an assistant coach for the Eastern Conference team. Instead, he will be spending the first three days of the break at his home in Red Deer, Alberta.

Sutter said he had an agreement with Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek and general manager Lou Lamoriello when he was hired that he would be able to go home for the all-star break because his family did not come to New Jersey to live with him.

"It was something that was part of the process with Lou and Mr. Vanderbeek," Sutter said. "The league certainly understood."

Sutter earned the right to be an all-star assistant because the Devils had the second best record in the conference after the completion of games on Jan. 5.

With goaltender Martin Brodeur also pulling out, the Devils will have no representative in the all-star game. Lamoriello said earlier tonight that the Devils would have a player added, but it turned out only that David Clarkson was added to the rookie competition.

Clarkson is happy to be going. "I didn't expect it," he said. "I just found out today. It's quite the honor to have the opportunity to go there. I'm excited and kind of shocked that I'm going."

Comments

[jules]

Good for Clarkson, but even better for Sutter. Such a family man. And that's just the kind of thing that Lou and Jeff V. would agree to...or he could pull a Zubrus and move his family to NJ.

[Brian]

Mr. Gulitti, please let Clarkson know that this Devil fan is proud of him! Also, I hope Sutter has a good break with his family, he deserves some relaxation after doing a tremendous job this year.

[aarrghhh]

Clarkson is going to raise hell in that cluster known as the Young Stars game.

Hopefully he'll lay in some checks and you know 1,000 toedrags will be in order.

[Dan]

good on sutter and devils.....and marty for that matter....take the break instead. man, i love this team.

[Laura]

Good for Sutter - deserves the time off to be with his family. Clarkson will definitely be raising some hell at the YoungStars game - a different kind than our MVP did last year! Marty is definitely entitled to his time off also - East/West starting goalies both opting out though, very unlikely.

This year's All-Star game will be lacking, IMO - no Brodeur, Luongo, Crosby, Heatley, Stastny, Zetterberg.

Oh, and the addition of Niedermayer is particularly ridiculous. I'm not very compelled to watch this year. 17 games merits an All-Star appearance? Over a player like Rafalski? It's all very ridiculous.

[Dan]

Laura, yes raf should be there...he's second in pts for D in league but Det is well/overepresented so i can see why he's not being chosen....as for crosby..........we can only hope his "6-8 weeks" finally brings his 'glory' down to earth......there are MANY players as good as him. sadly the league is monosexual with kid from pittsburg

[Jeremy]

I dont think it is right for Marty to miss the ASG. I feel that he has an obligation to the people who voted him in. If everyone in the family is healthy, what could the "engagement" be for? If this is his first all star game is going to play or be with his family?

[Alzheimers]

Shame on Sutter and the Devils. This is the biggest embarassment that he could possibly do, short of actually *spitting* on a fan. At least if he did that, he'd acknowledge that the fan was there, then stutter something incoherently like he was a press conference.

Sutter and Brodeur should both be suspended by the league for this. Waaah, I don't get to spend time with my family. Then fly them to NJ, you cheap bastard, or don't complain. You took a job you knew would keep you from home, you should at least LIVE UP TO YOUR OBLIGATIONS.

This is a disgrace to anyone who's a fan of this organization and the sport. You can't be BOTHERED to attend a game specifically designed for FANS?

Go to hell, you loser.

[JJ]

Sorry Alzheimers, I completely disagree with you again today man (big surprise). The All-Star game is NOT hockey, it's pretty much a waste of time skills competition plus. I'd rather spend the day watching a local girls high school game or ref a street game with the little kids down my street. If Sutter wants to go home, who cares? Why should it matter who "coaches" in that game, they don't coach anyway! And as for Marty, uh I think if he wants rest or to do whatever it is he wants to do with his family I'm fine with that. All I care about is winning the Stanley Cup and if this keeps him fresh mentally and/or physically and set for the rest of the season then I'm behind him. And since we're throwing insults, I think it's clear to all that you are just like school in the summertime. Cheers!

[stoonbora]

Alzheimers, Sutter has stated a couple of times that he never had any intention of coaching the All Star game. It was part of the agreement he made when he was hired and according to him the league has known about it for some time. His job and obligations to it have nothing to do with a meaningless, boring game in which he wouldn't have played any role anyways.

[nick]

The all-star game is pointless.. I wish everyone decided not to play in it.. IT used be somewhat fun to watch but now you see a couple guys usually drop out (ie: Luongo and Brodeur), and the actual game is a bore..

And its on Versus.. so it sucks. NHL GO GET A DEAL WITH ESPN BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.

[Alzheiemrs]

If he doesn't have any intention of following through on the obligations of the position, he shouldn't take the position. The All-Star game might be meaningless standings wise, but it's a good way to get excited for the sport.

"The Devils have no representative" - as a Devils fan, what the hell is there to get excited about that? If anything, I'm hiding my shame from people who would otherwise be bragging to that our goalie and our coach are being recognized amongst the best in the world by the fans of the sport. Instead, I get to tell everyone our team doesn't care. Go team! Meh.

"I think it's clear to all that you are just like school in the summertime." -- Have you been studying insults at the Sutter School of Press Conference Blather? I mean, really -- I'll just laugh if you left out a few words or something...or did you actually mean to ramble into nonsense? Maybe was it so much work to build up some defense for an otherwise pathetic situation that it left vast holes in your psyche. Whatever it is, don't do it again, you keep killing braincells like that and you'll soon you'll be rooting for the Rangers!

[JJ]

Well sorry, I prefer not to be coarse and obnoxious in public but since you probably had to stare at the computer screen to get that old Fat Albert joke.... (or are you still wondering what it means?) Regardless, you sir continue to demonstrate that you have NO CLASS (ahh you get it now eh?) or intelligence by your comments and your pathetic grammar and spelling. All fun and games aside, it's one thing to have a strong opinion about something but to tell players/coaches on the team you root for to "go to hell"??? Suffice to say YOU should be the one who becomes a Rangers fan.

[Mark]

I think its funny how the Devils fail to play nice with others. No new jerseys this year - one of the only (if not the only) teams to make NO changes. And now we don't play ASGs either. This team has always been unpopular with hockey fans and players alike. I personally like that no one likes them. Sending no one gives the team a much needed break. Take advantage of the opportunity.

[Devs4Life]

Congratulations to Clarkson, hope he has a great time and gets some of his signature toe-drag moves in the net.

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