Phaneuf preserves NHL All Star Fan Voting’s remaining shred of dignity

In what proves the process is a huge joke, Daniel Alfredsson led fan balloting for the 2012 All Star selection followed by Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek, meaning Kessel and Lupul will have to selected by the League. Democracy has indeed failed.

You have to feel for poor Dion Phaneuf, who was second highest vote getter among defencemen. He will have to skate alongside 4 Senators in the opening lineup and his D partner is Erik Karlsson, who will undoubtedly score three points the opening shift and still finish a -2.

Kessel garnered the fourth most fan votes among forwards, and Lupul was 5th. The two are 4th and 5th in the points scoring race and are the only two to have played more than 30 and never gone more than a game without a point.