Critics Berate NHL?s New Voting Rule for the All-Star Game as Fans Make a Mockery of the System by Starting an Online Campaign for Sean Avery

Carlsbad, CA (Vocus/PRWEB) December 23, 2010

BusinessInsider.com reports that the current player standings according to the votes cast by fans for the NHL All-Star game in Raleigh next year rank infamous Forward Sean Avery above many players who are statistically better than him. Commentators on ESPN.com and SportingNews.com have also come out against the voting trends that are now in play due to the NHL applying a new voting system to choose players for the All-Star game. This is all in lieu of an online campaign that was started by fans of Sean Avery at NYRangersBlog.com who marketed and advertised for Sean Avery using the power of social media. This led to a national ?Vote for Sean Avery? day which ended up in thousands of people voting for the underperforming player.

Sean Avery has only scored one goal and three points this season and has ended up ahead of better performing stars like Eric Staal, Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Semin, Jeff Carter, Marian Gaborik and Martin St. Louis. Avery is well known for his infamous antics on and off the field that have led to him and other players being suspended in the past. The online campaign to vote for Avery is not the first of its kind as many such online rallies have been started in the past with fans planning to vote for an unlikely player who wouldn?t make it to the All-Star game any other way.

The new system in place by the NHL allows for the fans to vote for the starting six players of the NHL All-Star game at the RBC Center in North Carolina. This includes 3 forwards, 2 defensemen and 1 goaltender. The players to get the highest votes in their category are then joined by 36 players picked by the NHL. These 42 players then go on to pick two captains who will pick their teams in a fantasy-style draft on January 28, 2011.

The game is to be played on January 30, 2011 and fans are understandably excited to be a part of this annual extravaganza. Speaking for the secondary ticket retailer TicketLuck.com, Anastasia Lyman commented, ?NHL tickets are always a big seller for us. The fact that fans get to pick who plays makes it a more exciting prospect for them.? On how the venue affects the sales, Lyman added, ?Raleigh is making sure the event is as sellable as possible. With their ?NHL All-Star Wide Open? week taking place and bands like Three Doors Down performing there, the NHL All-Star Tickets are practically selling themselves.?

While the fans? involvement might be good news for ticket retailers, many believe it is against the idea that only the best players get to play in an All-Stars game. The jury is still out as the voting continues; only time will tell if the end-result is a fair one for both the players and the fans of the National Hockey League.

About the NHL All-Stars Game

The NHL All-Stars Game is an annual exhibition match played between two teams usually consisting of the top players from both conferences of the National Hockey League. The game takes place mid-season and is hosted by a different city every year.

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maurices Holds Second Annual ?Rescues & Runways? with ASPCA Campaign to Showcase and Help Homeless Pets

Duluth, MN (Vocus) August 24, 2010

The nation?s economy is slowly rebounding, but many are still feeling the effects. Animal shelters across the United States are reporting an increase of pet relinquishments and a decrease in financial support.

One year after its first-ever Rescues & Runways, maurices is again launching a nationwide effort in conjunction with the ASPCA? (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?) to raise awareness of and support for homeless pets.

?Animal shelters across the country need our support ? this has never been more apparent than it is today,? said John Schroeder, maurices? Senior Vice President of Stores. ?Last year, we were overwhelmed and inspired by how many maurices customers stepped up to the plate by supporting our Rescues & Runways campaign. It set the tone for us to make this year?s campaign bigger and even more meaningful.?

During the month of September, more than 750 maurices stores in 44 states will accept monetary donations through the Rescues & Runways drive. Several stores will also be collecting pet supplies, with all financial and supply donations going directly to their local animal shelter partner. In addition, many stores will host Rescues & Runways fashion shows with local models wearing the latest fall looks from maurices and walking the runway with pets that are available for adoption. Customers who show their support for Rescues & Runways will receive a coupon for 20 percent off one regular-priced item.

In celebration of the bond between people and their pets, maurices will sell its exclusive Friends for Life charm in stores and online from now through October 31, or while supplies last. Pet owners can wear half of the charm, and their pets can wear the other half. The Friends for Life Charm is $ 5, and for every charm purchased, $ 2.50 will go to the ASPCA to support its national programs.

?What we love about this campaign is that there are so many simple but powerful ways people can help,? said Elysia Howard, Vice President of Marketing & Licensing for the ASPCA. ?However people choose to get involved ? either through buying a Friends for Life charm, donating to their local animal shelter, or even welcoming a pet into their home through adoption, they will be doing their part to help save animals? lives.?

The ASPCA will receive a minimum donation of $ 50,000 from maurices, with the ultimate goal of raising more than $ 100,000.

For more information and details on Rescues & Runways fashion shows at maurices stores across the country, visit http://www.maurices.com.

For Media: Visit http://www.maurices.com and click on Rescues & Runways for more information. High-resolution photos of the Friends for Life charm are available for download, along with photos, video and soundbites from last year?s Rescues & Runways events.

About maurices

Established in 1931, maurices is wholly owned by dressbarn inc. maurices is the leading small town specialty store for the savvy, fashion-conscious girl with a twenty-something attitude. Today, maurices operates over 750 stores in 44 states. maurices stands for fashion, quality, value and personalized customer service. Offering sizes 1-24, styles are inspired by the girl in everyone, in every size. For store information and to shop online visit maurices.com.

About the ASPCA

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA? (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation?s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA?s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit http://www.aspca.org.

To become a fan of the ASPCA on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/aspcateam. To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/aspca.

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