FIVE PLAYERS NAMED TO 2008 NHL ALL-STAR GAME ROSTERS
Additions of Niedermayer, Perry Increase Ducks' All-Star Contingent to Four
NEW YORK (January 22, 2008) – Two members of the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks – defenseman Scott Niedermayer and forward Corey Perry – are among five players added to the Western and Eastern Conference rosters for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, Sunday, Jan. 27 at Philips Arena in Atlanta (6 p.m., ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio), the National Hockey League announced today.
Niedermayer and Perry join their Anaheim teammates, defenseman Chris Pronger and forward Ryan Getzlaf, and the give the Ducks a League-high four representatives on the Western Conference team.
Also added to the Western Conference roster is Dallas Stars forward Mike Ribeiro. Named to the Eastern Conference roster are Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin and Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas.
The players named today replace Colorado Avalanche forward Paul Stastny, Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg, Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov, New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur and Penguins forward Sidney Crosby.
Niedermayer, the 2007 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs, will be making his fifth career All-Star Game appearance. This will be the first All-Star Game for Malkin, Perry, Ribeiro and Thomas.
The 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta will feature live broadcasts of the Dodge/ NHL SuperSkills event on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 27 on VERSUS in the United States and CBC and RDS in Canada. NASN and other international broadcasters will provide live coverage of both the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 115 countries and territories in Europe. NHL RADIO on Westwood One will provide exclusive national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on XM Satellite Radio's NHL Home Ice and NHL.com.
FLAMES' IGINLA, LIGHTNING'S LECAVALIER NAMED NHL ALL-STAR CAPTAINS
NEW YORK (January 17, 2008) – Right wing Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames and center Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning have been named team captains for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, Sunday, Jan. 27 at Philips Arena in Atlanta (6 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio), the National Hockey League announced today.
Iginla, making his fourth career All-Star game appearance, will lead the Western Conference. Lecavalier, skating in his third All-Star Game, will represent the East. Each player, on-pace to record a career-high scoring total this season, was voted to the starting lineups in All-Star fan balloting.
Iginla, 30, has played his entire 11-year NHL career with the Flames, serving as team captain since the start of the 2003-04 season. He became the franchise leader in career games with the club Nov. 29 with his 804th appearance, eclipsing the record set by Al MacInnis. Iginla has tallied 62 points in 2007-08 (32 goals, 30 assists), one point behind NHL leaders Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers (37-26--63), Lecavalier (28-35--63) and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins (20-43--63). Iginla has captured the Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal scorer (2002, 2004), the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL's MVP as voted by the players (2002), the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer (2002) and the King Clancy Award for leadership and community service (2004).
The 27-year-old Lecavalier, drafted first overall by the Lightning in 1998, has played all eight of his NHL seasons in Tampa Bay. Lecavalier tallied a Lightning-record 52 goals to capture his first career Maurice Richard Trophy in 2006-07 and has continued his hot pace this season: his eight-game multiple-point scoring streak from Nov. 3-19 was the longest in the NHL since Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr in 1996 (10 games). In October, Lecavalier announced a $3-million commitment to construction of the new All Children's Hospital in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., specifically for a state-of-the art facility that will be named the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.
The 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta will feature live national broadcasts of the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 27 on VERSUS in the United States and CBC and RDS in Canada. NASN and other international broadcasters will provide live coverage of both the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 115 countries and territories in Europe. NHL RADIO on Westwood One will provide exclusive national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on XM Satellite Radio's NHL Home Ice and NHL.com.
BLACKHAWKS' KANE, THRASHERS' ENSTROM AMONG TOP ROOKIES SELECTED TO NHL YOUNGSTARS TEAMS
NEW YORK (January 15, 2008) – Rookie scoring leader Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks and first-year defenseman Tobias Enstrom of the All-Star host Atlanta Thrashers headline the 16 'NHL YoungStars' invited to the 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend, the National Hockey League announced today.
Comprising the best of the League's stellar rookie class in 2007-08, the eight-player Eastern and Western Conference YoungStar teams will face off in a new three-on-three event as part of the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills competition on Saturday, Jan. 26 at Philips Arena in Atlanta (7 p.m., ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS). The YoungStars will be shooting against goaltenders named to participate in the NHL All-Star Game the following day.
Kane was the first overall selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft after leading all Canadian Major Junior players in 2006-07 with 145 points (62 goals, 83 assists) in 58 games with the OHL London Knights. He produced one of the finest NHL debuts in recent years, capturing the League's Rookie of the Month award for October after tallying 16 points – the most by an NHL rookie in October since 1992-93. The Buffalo, N.Y. native continues to lead the League rookie scoring race with 40 points (nine goals, 31 assists) in 45 games.
Joining Kane among Western Conference forwards are Sam Gagner of the Edmonton Oilers, Peter Mueller of the Phoenix Coyotes and David Perron of the St. Louis Blues. The defensemen are the Vancouver Canucks' Alexander Edler, the Blues' Erik Johnson, the Los Angeles Kings' Jack Johnson and the Dallas Stars' Matt Niskanen.
A late-round steal in the 2003 Entry Draft, Enstrom was selected by the Thrashers in the eighth round and 239th overall after capturing the 2002-03 Swedish Elite League's Rookie of the Year award with MoDo. The Nordingra, Sweden native leads all NHL rookies in average ice time per game (24:04), is tied for second in assists (23) and ranks fourth in points (26). He was named the League's top rookie for November.
Enstrom is joined on the Eastern Conference blueline by Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mike Lundin of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Marc Staal of the New York Rangers. The forwards are the Washington Capitals' Nicklas Backstrom, the Rangers' Brandon Dubinsky, the Penguins' Tyler Kennedy and the Boston Bruins' Milan Lucic.
YoungStars players were selected by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department, in consultation with League General Managers.
The 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta will feature live broadcasts of Dodge/NHL SuperSkills on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 27 on VERSUS in the United States and CBC and RDS in Canada. NASN and other international broadcasters will provide live coverage of both Dodge/NHL SuperSkills and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 115 countries and territories in Europe. NHL RADIO on Westwood One will provide exclusive national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on XM Satellite Radio's NHL Home Ice and NHL.com.
BRUINS' SAVARD ADDED TO EASTERN CONFERENCE ROSTER FOR 2008 NHL ALL-STAR GAME
NEW YORK (January 14, 2008) – Center Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins has been added to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, Sunday, Jan. 27 at Philips Arena in Atlanta (6 p.m., ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio), the National Hockey League announced today.
Savard replaces Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley, who suffered a separated shoulder during Saturday's 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings and will be sidelined for six weeks.
Playing in his 10th NHL season, Savard will be making his first career All-Star Game appearance. He leads the Bruins in scoring with 47 points (11 goals, 36 assists) in 43 games and is on pace for an 89-point season. He cracked the top 10 in League scoring for the second consecutive campaign in 2006-07, finishing ninth with 96 points (22 goals, 74 assists) in 82 games with Bruins. Savard has recorded 179 assists since the start of the 2005-06 season, third among all NHL players to San Jose's Joe Thornton (228) and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby (188).
The 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta will feature live national broadcasts of the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 27 on VERSUS in the United States and CBC and RDS in Canada. NASN and other international broadcasters will provide live coverage of both the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 115 countries and territories in Europe. NHL RADIO on Westwood One will provide exclusive national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on XM Satellite Radio's NHL Home Ice and NHL.com.
THRASHERS' KOVALCHUK, HOSSA ADDED TO EASTERN CONFERENCE ROSTER FOR 2008 NHL ALL-STAR GAME
NEW YORK (January 11, 2008) – Left wing Ilya Kovalchuk and right wing Marian Hossa from the All-Star host Atlanta Thrashers headline the list of additions to the Eastern Conference roster for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, Sunday, Jan. 27 at Philips Arena in Atlanta (6 p.m., ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio).
Kovalchuk, who tallied his League-leading 36th goal Thursday against Florida and is on pace for a 65-goal season, will be making his second career All-Star Game appearance. His 61 points (36 goals, 25 assists) rank second in the NHL scoring race, two behind the Tampa Bay Lightning's Vincent Lecavalier. Hossa, who in 2006-07 became the first player in Thrashers history to score 100 points and who ranks second on the club in scoring this season with 16-22--38 in 42 games, will play in his fourth All-Star Game.
Left wing Dany Heatley and center Jason Spezza of the Eastern Conference's top-ranked Ottawa Senators also were added, joining the third member of the NHL's highest-scoring trio, right wing Daniel Alfredsson, who was voted to the starting lineup. The three would be the first forward line from the same club to skate in an All-Star Game since the Pittsburgh Penguins' Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Kevin Stevens represented the Prince of Wales Conference in 1992 at Philadelphia.
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, whose 32 goals rank second in the NHL to Kovalchuk, has been selected to his second All-Star Game berth. The Russian pair were teammates at the 2007 World Championships in Moscow and the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
Heatley also will reunite with Kovalchuk; the linemates broke into the NHL with the Thrashers in 2001-02 and finished 1-2 in Calder Trophy voting, respectively, as the League's top rookies. Heatley played three seasons with Atlanta before his trade to Ottawa in August, 2005, the deal in which the Thrashers acquired Hossa.
Joining Spezza as first-time All-Stars named today are New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro and Philadelphia Flyers center Mike Richards.
Others named to the Eastern Conference roster: goaltender Tomas Vokoun of the Florida Panthers; defensemen Brian Campbell of the Buffalo Sabres, Sergei Gonchar of the Penguins, Tomas Kaberle of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Kimmo Timonen of the Philadelphia Flyers, and forwards Scott Gomez of the New York Rangers, Martin St. Louis of the Lightning and Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes.
The head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars will be the Senators' John Paddock, making his first career All-Star Game coaching appearance.
The roster additions were selected by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department, after consultation with League General Managers.
The players selected today join Alfredsson and the other five players voted by fans to the starting lineup, forwards Sidney Crosby of the Penguins and Vincent Lecavalier of the Lightning, defensemen Andrei Markov of the Montreal Canadiens and Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and goaltender Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils.
The 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta will feature live national broadcasts of the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 27 on VERSUS in the United States and CBC and RDS in Canada. NASN and other international broadcasters will provide live coverage of both the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 115 countries and territories in Europe. NHL RADIO on Westwood One will provide exclusive national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on XM Satellite Radio's NHL Home Ice and NHL.com.
DUCKS' GETZLAF, KINGS' KOPITAR, AVS' STASTNY AMONG ADDITIONS TO WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR GAME ROSTER
NEW YORK (January 10, 2008) – Centers Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks, Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings and Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche – three of the NHL's brightest young stars all under the age of 23 – headline the 16 players named today to the Western Conference roster for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, Sunday, Jan. 27 at Philips Arena in Atlanta (6 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio).
Getzlaf, 22, leads the Ducks in scoring with 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 44 games and has posted a team-best +20 rating. Kopitar, 20, is the Kings' leading scorer with 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 44 games, while Stastny, 22, paces the Avalanche with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 43 contests. Each will be making his All-Star Game debut.
Four other players added to the Western Conference roster will be making their first All-Star Game appearance: goaltender Manny Legace of the St. Louis Blues, defenseman Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks and forwards Shawn Horcoff of the Edmonton Oilers and Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks.
Joining Legace in the Western Conference net is goaltender Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings, who will be making his second career All-Star appearance and first since 1996. Osgood has posted a 19-2-1 record, leads all goaltenders with a 1.68 goals-against average and ranks second in save percentage at .932.
Rounding out the goaltending corps is Evgeni Nabokov of the San Jose Sharks, selected to his second career All-Star Game. Nabokov, the only NHL goaltender to have appeared in each of his club's games this season, leads the NHL in victories (23-12-6) and ranks fourth in goals-against average (2.01) and shutouts (five) in 41 appearances.
Others named to the Western Conference roster are defenseman Ed Jovanovski of the Phoenix Coyotes, Chris Pronger of the Ducks and Sergei Zubov of the Dallas Stars; and forwards Jason Arnott of the Nashville Predators, Marian Gaborik of the Minnesota Wild, Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Sharks' Joe Thornton.
The roster additions were selected by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department, after consultation with League General Managers.
The players selected today join five players voted by fans to the starting lineup: forwards Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom of the Red Wings, and forward Jarome Iginla and defenseman Dion Phaneuf of the Calgary Flames. Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo, also voted to the starting lineup in fan balloting, will not play.
The head coach of the Western Conference All-Stars will be the Red Wings' Mike Babcock, making his first career All-Star Game coaching appearance. Babcock's assistant is Sharks head coach Ron Wilson.
The 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta will feature live national broadcasts of the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 27 on VERSUS in the United States and CBC and RDS in Canada. NASN and other international broadcasters will provide live coverage of both the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 115 countries and territories in Europe. NHL RADIO on Westwood One will provide exclusive national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on XM Satellite Radio's NHL Home Ice and NHL.com.
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