ST. LOUIS — Patrick Kane has been there and done that NHL All-Star thing nine times.
At 31 years old, the Chicago Blackhawks forward is something of an "old man" relative to his hockey peers.
Kane also is like a little kid when it comes to All-Star games, just like Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were kids when they had their picture taken with Kane while tagging along with their father Keith Tkachuk after a game in St. Louis.
This year, the Tkachuk brothers were two of nine players 24 years old or younger making their first All-Star appearances.
But the novelty has seemed to have worn off for some players in the league, such as the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin, who played hooky from hockey's showcase weekend for the second consecutive year.
"We miss him and wish he was here, but we understand," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said with a smile.
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Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury also opted out, as did Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask before he got hurt. The Detroit Red Wings' Dylan Larkin, who was on the last-man-in ballot voted on by fans pleaded to be excluded, asking fans not to select him because he likes rest better.
Kane said he couldn't see himself turning down an invitation to spend the weekend with some of his most talented peers, even if there wasn't a one-game suspension involved for doing so.
"I don’t know if I would," Kane said. "It’s an honor to be selected. It’s pretty rare to see guys selected every year to come to the All-Star Game. They’ve been creating memories for me throughout my career. Every one is a little different. Every different All-Star Game has a different memory, so it’s fun to look back on them too."
Nostalgia has an influence on Kane's mindset. Among his All-Star memories was seeing Joe Thornton in the locker room and being in awe at his first All-Star Game.
He recalled seeing Pavel Datsyuk at the arena in Ottawa the morning the 2012 game, when it was just the two of them -- Kane rehearsing his Superman/Clark Kent bit and Datsyuk on an exercise bike.
Before player introductions at the skills competition this year, Kane took a solo lap around the ice at the urging of his Central Division teammates and absorbed all the boos Blues fans could give him.
"I don’t want to be considered the old man," Kane said with a laugh. "There’s a lot of young talent in the NHL now, and a lot of guys I like to watch play. It’s fun to meet them and talk to them, just kind of talk about your seasons and what’s going on around the league. I feel like I’m just another hockey player here that’s enjoying his time."
Like Ovechkin, who also opted out of last year's game, Kane has plenty of hockey miles on him. He has won three Stanley Cups. He has been to five conference finals. He has played in the Olympics.
Ovechkin has been an All-Star 11 times in his 15-year career. He also missed the 2016 game because of an injury and the 2012 one after he received a three-game suspension for an on-ice infraction.
Predators captain Roman Josi, who made his third All-Star appearance, said he can see both sides of Ovechkin's situation.
"Guys like 'Ovi' who've been in the league for a long time and they've done so much for this league," Josi said. "He's been such a great ambassador for this league. He's getting a little older and he's been in the league for a long time, playing a lot of games, I think if guys just need their rest and do what's best for the team, I'm totally fine with that.
"I can only speak for myself; I love being here. I love the All-Star Game. It's a huge honor to be here and have a lot of great memories."
Bettman didn't address players skipping the game directly, save for his Ovechkin comment, but he did praise the state of the game. He cited the 30,000 tickets sold for the All-Star Fanfest as a record. He mentioned the three-on-three Elite women's game that took place during the skills competition Friday.
"As they say, it's all good," Bettman said.
Reach Paul Skrbina at pskrbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.
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