SUNRISE, Fla. -- "Offense wins games, defense wins championships." So goes the age-old adage. In today's NHL, the former could be amended to "Offense wins Calders." The latter? That's still true, only not everyone notices.

"Sure, sometimes I think it would be nice to be a forward," said Flames rookie defenseman Jordan Leopold. "They get all the glam and glory. Defensemen take it harder when we lose. Things are pin pointed on us because the mistakes are more noticeable."

Forwards are the flashy goal scorers who become household names for piling up point after point. Defensemen do their jobs, pounding away at those flashy forwards in virtual anonymity -- until, of course, they make a mistake.

"If a forward loses the puck in the neutral zone, nobody cares. It's a two-on-two or a three-on-two, and it's OK," said Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Rostislav Klesla. "If the D does it, it's a two-on-one or a breakaway."

In the expanse of empty ice behind the defensemen, there is no one to pick up the slack. Barring a spectacular save from a goalie that's been hung out to dry, the puck usually ends up in the net.

Since 1970, only five Calder Trophy winners have been defensemen, and all were of the offensive variety -- Bryan Berard (48 points for the Islanders in 1997), Brian Leetch (71 points for the Rangers in 1989), Gary Suter (68 points for the Flames in 1986), Ray Bourque (65 points for the Bruins in 1980), Denis Potvin (54 points for the Islanders in 1974). These were slick-skating, high-flying defensemen with more offensive ability that the majority of the forwards on their teams. Their numbers spoke volumes.

In this year's crop of rookies, some of the best talents are defensive defensemen, flying under the radar with their low point totals, but earning the respect of their teammates with solid play. A handful of them were chosen by the NHL's hockey operations department, with input from the league's general managers, to play in the 2003 YoungStars Game on All-Star Saturday, hoping to showcase their skills.

They had no such luck.

As is usually the case in All-Star games, offense carried the day. The Eastern Conference YoungStars beat the Western Conference YoungStars 8-3. Anton Volchenkov of the Ottawa Senators was the only defenseman to score a goal.

"My job is to create room for the guys I play with," said St. Louis Blues rookie defenseman Barret Jackman. "With my limited offensive ability and a wide-open game like that, I can't really show what kind of player I am."

Jackman is the kind of player who logs almost 19 minutes of ice time per game. Playing alongside veteran defenseman Al MacInnis, he has helped carried the Blues in the absence of Chris Pronger. And in 46 games, he has just 10 points.

Same goes for Buffalo Sabre Henrik Tallinder, who leads all rookie defensemen in average ice time with 20:26, but has compiled only 10 points in 33 games. And Anton Volchenkov of the Ottawa Senators, with nine points in 35 games. And Denis Seidenberg of the Philadelphia Flyers, with 12 points in 41 games.

On their teams, they're invaluable.

"You can't think too much about what the fans want," said Jackman. "What's important is that the guys in your room see what you bring to the table."

And maybe this year, so will all of those sportswriters who are responsible for handing out the end of the season hardware.

The Magazine's Lindsay Berra can be e-mailed at lindsay.berra@espnmag.com.