LOS ANGELES -- Some players took sides on whether the All-Star game is fun or simply a chore. Others looked forward to sizing up the competition.

Washington's Jaromir Jagr said he was exhausted from a six-hour flight across the country and is worried fans in the Czech Republic might think "it will be easy" to defend the gold medal in two weeks in Salt Lake City.

"You cannot change it, of course, but it's tough to fit everything in -- the 82 games, the All-Star game and the Olympics," Jagr said Friday after All-Star practice at the Staples Center. "There's not much time to do it."

Jagr's Czech teammate, Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek, also said he was against having an All-Star game.

"This schedule is already so loaded that I don't think it's a good idea," he said. "This is only my opinion, but I think there's enough for the fans to see with the Olympics going on this season."

He still called it a "big honor" to be chosen for Saturday's game, matching North American and World teams, and didn't consider turning down the invitation, as some others essentially did.

Dallas' Mike Modano and Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson, among others, said they were leaning against attending -- if chosen -- because of fatigue and nagging injuries. They were subsequently left off the roster.

"Some guys secretly asked out of it," admitted Detroit's Chris Chelios.

But Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux, making his 10th All-Star appearance, called it an "obligation" for the game's best players.

"It's not that hard of a game, obviously," he said. "It's more: Come here for a couple days, enjoy yourself, play the game and put a show on for the fans.

"It doesn't take a lot out of you. If the guys are healthy and are feeling good, they should be here and be part of it."

Or, as Philadelphia's Jeremy Roenick, put it: "If you can't get energy from this kind of spotlight or atmosphere you should check your blood pressure. You might be dead."

The All-Star game is a genuine thrill for some.

First-timers Jarome Iginla, Mark Parrish, Joe Thornton and Mike York were wide-eyed and wore wide smiles during their interviews.

"To be able to play with (Joe) Sakic and Lemieux -- it's just great to be here" said Calgary's Iginla, tied for the league scoring lead with Vancouver's Markus Naslund. "I watched all of these games when I was younger."

York, of the New York Rangers, said he felt like he was going to his "first training camp all over again," when he saw some of the faces in the dressing room.

"It's one after another, too," he said.

The game also could have some use for the Olympics.

North American team coach Pat Quinn, also the coach of Team Canada, said he'll use the game as a kind of Olympic practice.

"We'll experiment a bit with line combinations," Quinn said. "We'll use the Canadians together and that means the Americans will play together."

Toronto's Mats Sundin, who will play for Sweden in the Olympics, wished his Maple Leafs teammate, Canadian goalie Curtis Joseph, was around.

"So I could practice some penalty shots," Sundin said, referring to the Olympic rule of going to a shootout after a tie.

But then again, "I play against Curtis every day and we're still trying to figure him out."

St. Louis defenseman Chris Pronger doesn't think much can be gleaned in an All-Star game where players are loose and experimental.

"It could be a good opportunity to play together," Pronger, a Canadian, said. "It might help us get a little familiar with each other, it might give us a little base. But in the All-Star format, it's kind of tough."

True, defensemen don't have it easy.

"You just try and do your job," New York Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch said. "The big thing is that there's always players coming in late. A lot of times there's not much you can do. The goaltenders feel even more helpless because there's a lot of offense going on. ... You can't really work on too much as defensemen."

The players are also trying to entertain the fans, so they play without caution.

"Since you're not playing for a point, you might want to try something that you really shouldn't during the playoffs or something," Carolina's Sami Kapanen said.

"It's not what you would do for your club or the Olympics with a gold medal at stake," said New York Islanders center Alexei Yashin, "but most people still want to win."

Added Sundin: "It's pretty friendly until halfway through, then it's a close game usually, and the intensity picks up."

The game is also a way to break up the monotony of the season.

"It's funny that in the NHL, every day is pretty much the same kind of day," San Jose's Teemu Selanne said. "I bet there's guys that don't even know what day or month it is. That's why it's going to be nice, to have a little change and then go play for your own country in the Olympics."

Sundin agrees.

"Toronto right now has a pile of snow," he said. "But I get a little bit of sun here in L.A."