Who made it to the NHL All-Star game and how – NHL Special Part I
The All-Star weekend is right around the corner and fans are gearing up for the huge event in Ottawa, Canada, as the Canadians host the game at the Scotiabank Place, home of the Ottawa Senators.
This year's All-Star game will be different than past editions when the best players from the Eastern and Western Conferences took on each other in the exhibition match.
This time the selection will be more like that in fantasy sports.
The two captains and their assistants will select their teams from the All-Star roster on Thursday, January 26th.
So let us take a look at the performances of the stars that made it to the prestigious fixture.
The Captains
Zdeno Chara (Boston Bruins)
Bruins' Stanley Cup winning captain will be playing his fifth All-Star game this year on the back of some brilliant performances in defence.
Chara has been selected as captain of his own All-Star team and will choose his players in Thursday’s drafts.
The Bruins captain has had a brilliant 2011-12 season, with 27 points this year. The Slovakian has scored seven goals and made 20 assists in the 45 games he played this season.
Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa Senators)
Alfredsson got the highest votes in this year’s NHL fan balloting for the All-Star team, 897,055 votes. The Ottawa Senators captain will be playing his seventh All-Star game this year.
Senators are hosting the event and their fans will take immense pride in seeing their captain leading out his own All-Star team on the weekend.
His selection was never in doubt as Ottawa Senators' fans dominated the voting, with five Senators making it to the All-Star roster.
Alfredsson has scored 17 goals and made 21 assists this season for a total of 38 points.
The Alternate Captains
Joffrey Lupul (Toronto Maple Leafs)
The Maple Leafs star joined the franchise this year and has become a major part of the team. Maple Leafs are currently jostling for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after an inconsistent season.
Lupul however, is in great form this year, scoring 20 goals and making 32 assists for 52 points.
The Canadian has made it into the All-Star roster for the first time in his career and will be helping Zdeno Chara in picking his team for the big game.
Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)
New York Rangers' goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist will be playing his second All-Star game on the weekend after his brilliant performances in front of goal for Rangers this season.
Lunqvist will be the alternate captain to Daniel Alfredsson and will help the Senators captain in picking his side.
The goaltender has been brilliant in Rangers' progress to the top of the Eastern Conference, making 1,019 saves this season with a .937 saves percentage. Lundqvist has five shutouts to his name in 2011.
All-Star Forwards
Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars)
The Dallas Stars forward has made it for the All-Star game after recovering from his injury just in time.
This will be Benn’s first All-Star game of his career after a brilliant season with the Stars. Benn has scored 13 goals and made 29 assists this year for 42 points.
The forward has also been named the alternate captain for Dallas Stars in the 2011-12 season.
Logan Couture (San Jose Sharks)
San Jose Sharks' centre, Logan Couture has been named for the first time in the All-Star roster this year. Couture has scored 21 goals this season and made 15 assists for 36 points.
The forward has helped Sharks move up to the third place in the Western Conference and is the leading scorer for San Jose Sharks.
To be continued..
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