Souhan: What other pro leagues can learn from NHL’s successful All-Star break

The NHL just shamed every other sports league in the world with its “All-Star” break.

The 4 Nations Face-Off provided spectacular entertainment because the players cared enough to risk their health for a non-Olympic, midseason trophy not inscribed with the word “Stanley.”

With the 4 Nations as the best example of how to use a professional All-Star break, here’s how each major American sports league can improve its own All-Star presentation and why such improvements might never occur:

NBA/WNBA: First, fire Kevin Hart.

This year, the NBA simultaneously improved its All-Star basketball and ruined its All-Star production.

The basketball was about as good as it can be in the modern era. The players played to win, played a modicum of defense and took pride in their teams. It was a marked improvement in quality of play in part because the previous quality of play was so embarrassing.

Then the NBA, at an event that exists to highlight NBA players, handed the stage to Hart.

Once we got past the sight gag of Hart standing next to, and under, Shaquille O’Neal, he could have left. Instead, he dominated or interrupted conversations.

When the “Inside The NBA” crew took the floor, Hart was the third-funniest guy in the fivesome, behind Charles Barkley and O’Neal, and he got in the way of two who are quite funny when paired with Barkley and O’Neal — Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson.

The NBA was apparently so embarrassed by its previous All-Star presentations that the league threw the kitchen sink at the audience. Turns out nobody is that interested in kitchen sinks.

Next year, the NBA needs to ditch the faux entertainment and add another entrant into the tournament — the All-Snubbed team. Let a bunch of guys angry that they weren’t named to the regular All-Star teams into the tourney to express their frustration.

For the WNBA, the league should hold its All-Star Game in conjunction with Unrivaled after the season is over. Players would get a winter weekend in Miami and help promote another women’s basketball league.

NFL: The league has admitted that real football isn’t going to happen at its Pro Bowl, so why not ditch football altogether?

Those of us of a certain age remember ABC’s “Superstars” show that featured great athletes from different sports competing in Olympic and other disciplines.

Let’s see Tyreek Hill, Xavier Worthy and D.K. Metcalf in the 100 meters. Let’s see the Eagles and Lions offensive lines reprise the epic tug-of-war between the Vikings and Steelers in 1975. The Vikings won, and it might be one of the best sporting events ever staged.

Don’t show NFL players easing through faux-football exhibitions. Show just how great NFL athletes are.

Baseball: Until 4 Nations, MLB could rightly claim to have the only All-Star Game that mattered because it was the only All-Star Game in which the defense was performing at full intensity.

The flaw of the baseball game is that almost all of the superstars are on the bench when the game is being decided in late innings. This is where MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s idiotic idea about allowing any player to hit in a key late-game situation could work. Each team gets to reinsert its best hitter once in the ninth inning.

Hockey: Here’s the problem with 4 Nations as an All-Star format. It’s too good. The players care too much.

Do NHL owners, general managers and coaches want their players risking injury late in the regular season for what is an exhibition, even if it’s a thrilling exhibition?

No other sport would want that.

Hockey is different.

I prefer basketball to hockey, but not when it comes to extracurricular events.

The 4 Nations is far better than anything the NBA could come up with.

Olympic hockey is far better than Olympic basketball.

Hockey players have an advantage in these settings. They can express their passion with physical play. Do that in basketball and you foul out.

Hockey people love quality hockey above all else in life.

Having your players sell out physically in late February makes little sense.

Hockey people probably don’t care, not after watching that overtime epic Thursday night.