honest with you," Tavares said. "It's not something I worry about going into the game, trying to be the MVP. You enjoy playing with some special players and if you get some opportunities to score, you try to put them in and try to make some plays for your linemates as well."

One of the underlying storylines of All-Star Weekend was the return of New York Rangers forward Rick Nash to Columbus, where he served as Blue Jackets captain for nine years before requesting a trade in 2012. But it was also a homecoming for Voracek, who played his first three NHL seasons in Columbus before being traded to the Flyers, along with two draft picks, for Jeff Carter in 2011.

Unlike Nash, who was booed at every opportunity, Voracekwas greeted warmly by the Columbus fans and was happy to be back in the city for a few days.

"I saw people I haven't seen forever," Voracek said. "Obviously I still have a lot of friends here, and even at the rink when I walk in, there's a lot of people that I know. Hockey-wise, you're around the best players in the world, so I think it's great. … The last few days have been a lot of the most fun in hockey that I've ever had."

Author: Arpon Basu | Managing Editor LNH.com