An update to my earlier post NHL All Star Voting Has a Viral Storm on its Hands, the Vote for Rory campaign is winning. When I last wrote about this viral phenomenon on December 4th, journeyman hockey player and current Vancouver Canuck Rory Fitzpatrick was ranked#12 on the All Star list and the only “write-in”. Just three weeks later, Rory has shot up to the #2 position – ahead of all star defencemen and future hall-of-famers Niklas Lidstrom and Chris Pronger, and just trailing Scott Niedermayer. What seemed like a small nuisance is quickly turning in to a bad dream for the NHL brass. Barring any interference from the NHL, Rory Fitzpatrick WILL make the final All Star roster. Whether he will show up or not, remains to be seen although he has made comments that suggest he will. Rather than fight it and get all upset, the NHL should just embrace it. Acknowledge the whole Rory campaign as passionate hockey fans using the power of the net to get an unexpected player in to the line up. Poke fun at themselves, change the rules for next year, and get Rory to do some fun on-camera work at the All Star game. Show him joking with players, interview his peers, profile the campaign, and just have some fun with it all. In the end, isn’t that really what the All Star game is suppose to be about? The NHL’s current slogan is “My NHL”. Well, it appears my NHL as well as others will see Rory at the game.