NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND

February 5, 2000

Darryl Sittler

DARRYL SITTLER: When you have the 50th celebration of the All-Star, and you are in the millennium year, you are in the City of Toronto where hockey means so much to so many people and to be in the new building in the Air Canada Centre, have guys like Mats Sundin and Curtis Joseph part of it, playing against each other and to bring back the guys from 1947, who played in the first All-Star Game, it is special. It will never happen again. It is nice that the fans and the media and everybody can be a part of it and enjoy it.

DARRYL SITTLER: Toronto has always been as special in Canada as Montreal because of the rivalry and the history that each franchise has, so it was the only place for the 50th celebration to be here in Toronto with the new building and the City the way it is, the exposure it gets here. I think the NHL made a wise choice.

DARRYL SITTLER: The whole All-Star format back when I played All-Star games, you came in the night before, you did kind of a black-tie dinner, you played the game, you were out of the city. Now it is a whole week of celebration. You have Fantasy. You have other events going on around it. You have the girls' game, the women's hockey last night, obviously the heroes and the skills competition. Big corporate market, all the preparations are involved, the sponsorship here, they are here with their major clients putting on the show for them. Guys like us benefit from it, the old-timers. We are proud to be part of it, but it also creates revenue for us as far as doing a few appearances and a few endorsements. It is nice to be recognized. It is nice that the League involves us in the way they do. You see a guy like Lindsay taking a faceoff, 70 years old; still playing, Gordie Howe here, Bobby Hull is around, Bobby Orr is around here this weekend. Guys like Lemieux and Gretzky are retired just recently, but they are part of our alumni. That is important to keep them out in front and center and the fans like to see that.

DARRYL SITTLER: It probably won't happen again. We practiced at Maple Leaf Gardens, we were in the old dressing room. A lot of good memories in those dressing rooms. We probably won't all be together at Maple Leafs Gardens' ice again; let alone in Air Canada ice playing. We are all around the 50 age and these events don't happen very often. We are certainly proud to be a part of it and we are going to savor and enjoy every minute of it.

DARRYL SITTLER: Well, there has been a few times. Last night we did a little deal with Master Card, Lanny and I were over there for a few hours. We are looking forward to the celebration tonight, the party. That is all part of it. We have an alumni lounge at the hotel; most of the guys hang around it. Basically guys kind of stick with their own era of players because you bonded together; your families are closer; wives are close, and but still nice to be around the different generations.

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