There are two trains of thought when it comes to Fantasy Sports. There are those who love "rotisserie" leagues and others who get bored to death by it.

However, since lovers of being a make-believe general manager really enjoy playing, the NHL changed its All-Star Game to a similar style. Two appointed team captains alternate selecting players from a pre-determined pool of players chosen by the league or voted in by the fans.

Call it Shirts & Skins on Ice.

In fact, the process has become so popular so quickly, the Russian KHL utilized the same format for last weekend’s game held in Riga, Latvia (Team Fedorov defeated Team Ozolinsh, 15-11) where the league announced its desire to renew bringing NHL to eastern Europe for preseason contests or even a league-vs.-league All-Star Game.

It may sound better than many previous formats, from the traditional East-West match-up, to North America vs. The World, Wales Conference vs. Campbell Conference, or the original affair between the reigning Stanley Cup champion and all-stars from the remaining teams.

In Year Two of the current Fantasy format, captains for this Sunday’s NHL All-Star Game, slated for Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario were obvious: Zdeno Chara, captain of the defending champion Boston Bruins, and Daniel Alfredsson, captain of the host Ottawa Senators (somehow, "Team Alfie" brings back childhood memories of television’s ALF – "Alien Life Form" – but I will leave that conversation to my therapist.)

Alfresson selected New York Rangers goalie (and fellow countryman) Henrik Lundqvist as assistant captain; Chara went with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul.

Team Alfie, the designated home team, will be guided by John Tortorella of the New York Rangers, and Todd McLellan of the San Jose Sharks. Team Chara will be coached by the regular Boston Bruins coaching staff – head coach Claude Julien, and assistants Doug Houda, Doug Jarvis and Geoff Ward.

Tortorella and McLellan earned All-Star coaching honors for leading their respective conferences in points percentage through the midpoint of the regular season, which was Jan. 9.

As for the rest of the selections, they came after press time, so picking a winner here is impossible.

However, since the total is usually quite high – we’re guessing 18 or 19 – if I truly need to have action on the All-Star Game, I usually take the UNDER. Then if the game is a boring, low-scoring bummer, I still win.

And if it’s an exciting, high-scoring affair, I gain great entertainment value and only drop, say, half-a-unit.

In otherwords, enjoy a weekend off from betting to watch Sunday’s 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game, starting at 4 p.m. ET (CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network).

But first will be the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET (CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network). The "SKLZ" include fastest skater and relay races, hardest shot, shooting accuracy, plus breakaway and shootout challenges.

By the way Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, is commemorating the team’s 20th season since returning to the NHL. The original Senators existed from 1883 to 1954 as a amateur, professional, senior amateur and semipro club under several nicknames, including the Generals of the 1890s and the historic Stanley Cup champion Silver Seven (1903-07).

The club competed in the NHL until the 1933-34 season, when it relocated due to financial difficulties to become the St. Louis Eagles.

Ottawa is also slated to welcome a CFL Football expansion team in 2014 or ‘15, pending construction of a new stadium which could be shared with a pending MLS Soccer club.

Meanwhile, the NHL is expected to announce the Nashville Predators as host for the 2013 classic.