Rory Fitzpatrick?

I completely agree and I'm disgusted with the fact that people are trying to exploit the voting syatem for the All-Star Game and getting this guy to play. The ASG is meant for people to watch the most thrilling and skilled players in the league, not the ones with the most heart and the ones who to the utility work...

Alain Vigneault won’t be pencilling Rory Fitzpatrick into the Canucks line-up much this season but thanks to a major screw-up by the NHL, the common fan may be able to get him some ice time in January. The 31-year-old career minor-leaguer has been sidelined since breaking his ankle in a 2-1 win over Dallas on Nov. 6th but that hasn’t stopped him from being the focus of an unlikely online campaign that has him on the brink of being voted into a starting role in next month’s NHL All-Star Game.

The online campaign was masterminded by Buffalo native, Steven Schmid. Looking to promote an unheralded player, Schmid started www.voteforrory.com to encourage hockey fans to bypass the Niedermayers and Lidstroms of the world and cast their ballots for Rory instead. It started off slowly, but the campaign has snowballed over the past 10 days. The most recent vote count, released by the NHL yesterday, revealed that Fitzpatrick sits in 5th place among Western Conference D-men.

What was the NHL thinking?? At the very least, they should have created a system that allows only one vote to be cast from an IP address each day. Stay tuned, this could be interesting.

GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Where is the link that you are using to see who is leading in votes and that Fitzpatrick is leading or at least 2nd among defensemen in the Western Conference?

You know since the voting is online there should be a link to view the voting in real time. Also you are correct about the voting flaw thing but it also creates a situation where certain guys can get into the All-Star game even though the league would have kept them out because they are young. Such as Freddy Sanchez of the Pittsburgh Pirates in MLBs All-Star game. The league were the ones that eventually let him in but that's only because he was leading the batting race. Had he been 3rd or 4th would he have got in even though his numbers were deserving in a league that rewards power hitters?

I'm not sure you can do anything about it. If your going to let the fans vote, you must allow him to play. If you don't let him play, thats like the NHL saying, we have the voting system, but it doesn't mean anything. Bettman has no choice but to let him play because he is being voted in by the fans. I think Bettman is in a lose-lose situation, whatever he decides, people will be unhappy with him. I think that if you don't want him to play, you should start voting for others. This would probably turn out a good thing for the NHL because it will bring publicity to the sport and I believe any publicity is good publicity.

It's all just a joke. Even if he does get voted in to the game, he won't go. He even stated that he has no plans to go if he gets voted in. I don't see why people get so uptight about this. It's obviously a joke. Any fan with their head on their shoulders can tell you that he's not worthy of the All-Star game.

Besides, there are more injustices in voting by people who voted for Cheechoo or Naslund or Morrow. You can't possibly tell me that they're worthy of the All-Star game based on their performances this season but people vote for them. The All-Star game is stupid now. It's just a popularity contest that nobody actually watches.

Vote for Rory

http://www.voteforrory.com/

this might properly be a comedian tale long previous waaaaaay too a techniques, its a ****** discrace to the interest of hockey, right that's a defenceman not often stable adequate to play interior the nhl beginning in an all atar interest merely before perennial all stars like lidstrom and pronger, I hate the stupid marketing campaign and everyone who votes for him, bypass take your "comedian tale' someplace else if he's voted i wish on my unborn babies he would not attend, that would desire to be the favourite and respectful element to do, dammit that's what happens once you enable the followers vote.

he is just being used as a prank that got out of control,it could have been any player really.. but it's only the all-star game so no harm in playing it up I guess..

If you don't want to see him play than don't vote for him. I don't see what the big deal is. He seems to be doing well in the votes so people want to see him named as an All-Star. What's the issue?!

Saw it on OLN (or versus) they had the updated voting. Rory is number 2, right behind neidermeyer.

He doesn't deserve to be on the All Star Game.

He should decline it.

There are more deserving players than him.