Tampa ready to show off its most dazzling players
Four Lightning land on Atlantic Division squad
The league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning’s top performers will be on full display when the city hosts NHL All-star Weekend later this month.
Top scorer Nikita Kucherov, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and defenseman Victor Hedman will join captain Steven Stamkos for the skills competition and 3-on-3 tournament Jan. 27-28 in Tampa, Florida. Kucherov has the most points in the league and Vasilevskiy the most victories in leading the Lightning to an Nhl-best 65 points.
“It’s going to be a great showcase of a hockey city,” Stamkos said. “To be able to share that moment with them is going to be special, especially in front of our home fans who greatly deserve something like this, and I’m sure we’ll put on a great show.”
With four players on the Atlantic Division team, Tampa Bay has the most representation for the showcase event. The Los Angeles Kings will send three players to Tampa — center Anze Kopitar, defenseman Drew Doughty and goalie Jonathan Quick. The league announced the full All-star rosters on Wednesday as selected by the NHL’S hockey operations department.
Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang of the defending Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins were added to the Metropolitan Division team, which also includes Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin and goalie Braden Holtby. New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was selected to his fourth All-star Weekend, and Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov will head to his first.
“Sasha has earned the right to be counted among the league’s elite,” Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said of Barkov. “A cornerstone of our franchise, he is among the game’s most exceptional two-way players and is incredibly deserving of this honor.”
Reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor Mcdavid of the Edmonton Oilers is on the Pacific Division roster with Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau. Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne earned his third Allstar spot, all since 2015, and joins teammate P.K. Subban on the Central Division team.
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser, tied for fifth in the NHL with 22 goals, is the only rookie and the youngest All-star at age 20. Boeser said he’ll “be pretty quiet around
those types of guys.”
The two Eastern and Western Conference teams will play each other in the semifinals of the 3-on-3 tournament with the winners facing off for $1 million.
All 31 teams must have at least one representative; each divisional team has six forwards, three defensemen and two goalies.