The 2011 NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft is over, and St. Louis Blues forward David Backes, who was pegged by Bodog to go last, went in the 17th to the hometown Team Staal, finding his squad in the second-to-last round of the draft. Mr. Irrelevant turned out to be the Toronto Maple Leafs' Phil Kessel, who, for his troubles, won a Honda CR-Z and $20,000 to go to charity.
↵Backes, who until making his first All-Star game was best known for an awesome shirt commemorating his ability to fight Canadians, leads the St. Louis Blues with 16 goals in the 2010-11 season. His teammates on Team Staal include just two other players from the Central Division—the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Sharp, who went in the eighth round, and the Columbus Blue Jackets' Rick Nash, who went in the fifth. The Blackhawks' Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, and Jonathan Toews; the Detroit Red Wings' Nicklas Lindstrom, obviously; and the Nashville Predators' Shea Weber are all members of team Lindstrom.
↵On a personal note, I will be incredibly disappointed if every other major sport doesn't steal this idea next season. The NBA, in particular, has no reason whatsoever not to do this, except that it would take some extra time for the teams to come up with their introduction dances.