National Hockey League

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NHL All-Star Game is returning to an Eastern Conference against the Western Conference format for the first time since 1997.

The past five midseason games pitted North American All-Stars against the league's World All-Stars -- inspired by the first time NHL players took part in the Winter Olympics in 1998.

"We're moving away from North America versus the world," commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday. "We think it worked well, particularly in the Olympic years, but we think in terms of fan identification with players in the game, it makes sense to go back to a more traditional format."

North America won in 1998 and 1999, and again in 2001. The World All-Stars triumphed in 2000 and last season in Los Angeles, just weeks before the league took its second-ever Olympic break to allow players to represent their countries.

There have only been three East against West games, and the East won them all. The conferences changed names from Wales (East) and Campbell (West) before the 1994 season.

This season's All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 2, 2003, in Sunrise, Fla.