NHL News & Notes: 2017 All-Star Game selections announced

The National Hockey League announced the full roster of players, as well as the head coaches, for the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend, which will be held January 28-29 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Forty players were selected by the NHL, joining the four division captains elected by fans via the 2017 NHL All-Star Fan Vote: Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens (Atlantic), P.K. Subban of the Nashville Predators (Central), Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins (Metropolitan), and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (Pacific).

The 2017 NHL All-Star Game again will be a three-game tournament, played in a 3-on-3 format, featuring teams representing each NHL division. The four All-Star teams – the Atlantic, Central, Metropolitan and Pacific – will wear jerseys that feature colors worn by the Kings during their 50-year history: Purple (Forum Blue), Gold, Black, and White. The silver also is a nod to the NHL Centennial logo and the NHL Shield.

The Pacific Division (featuring the hometown Kings) will wear the black jersey. The Atlantic Division will wear gold, the Central Division will wear purple and the Metropolitan Division will wear white.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman/assistant captain Drew Doughty and Kings forward/assistant captain Jeff Carter were selected to play in the All-Star Game, as were Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler and defenseman Cam Fowler.

The announcement marks the third consecutive All-Star Game selection for Doughty and third overall.  Doughty also represented the Kings at the 2015 All-Star Game in Nashville (along with Jonathan Quick) and the 2014 All-Star Game in Columbus (along with Anze Kopitar).

It is the first All-Star Game selection for Carter.

Carter has played in all 41 Kings games this season and leads the Kings with 37 points including a club-best 22 goals (second most in the NHL) while his 15 assists are tied for third most on the team.  He has a plus-two rating, seven power play goals, 11 power play points, one short-handed goal and seven game winning goals including two in overtime.

Doughty has also played in all 41 games this season and is second in points (22) and first in goals (seven) among club defensemen, while his 22 points also rank third overall in club scoring.  He has a plus-four rating, three power play goals and nine power play points.  His average ice time per game is the third most in the league.

Both players also were selection to Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey 2016 with that club capturing gold medals (Carter however did not play due to injury), and Doughty won last year’s Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.

Kesler will make his second career All-Star appearance following his All-Star debut in 2011 in Carolina. Fowler is set to become the fifth defenseman and the youngest blueliner in franchise history to appear in an All-Star Game.

Kesler, 32, has collected 16-19=35 points with a +10 rating and 28 penalty minutes (PIM) in 42 games with the Ducks this season. Kesler leads the team in scoring, co-leads in goals, ranks third in assists, and second in plus/minus. The 6-2, 202-pound center also leads the league in faceoff wins (528) and ranks sixth in faceoff win percentage (57.7%, min. 500 FO).

Fowler, 25, has scored 9-13=22 points with 10 PIM in 42 games with the Ducks this season. Fowler leads all Ducks defensemen in scoring (22) while co-leading all league blueliners in game-winning goals (3). He also ranks third in goals (9), tied for third in power-play goals (5) and tied for eighth in power-play points (11) among all NHL defensemen.

The four head coaches for the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend will be Michel Therrien of the Montreal Canadiens (Atlantic), Bruce Boudreau of the Minnesota Wild (Central), John Tortorella of the Columbus Blue Jackets (Metropolitan) and Peter DeBoer of the San Jose Sharks (Pacific).

Therrien’s Canadiens (.683, 25-10-6) are guaranteed of posting the top points percentage in the Atlantic Division through tonight, while Boudreau’s Wild (.705, 25-9-5), Tortorella’s Blue Jackets (.769, 28-7-4) and DeBoer’s Sharks (.625, 24-14-2) similarly have wrapped up first place in the Central, Metropolitan and Pacific Divisions, respectively.

Below are the 2017 NHL All-Star Game selections:

F Nikita Kucherov (TBL) 
F Patrick Kane (CHI)
F Brad Marchand (BOS) 
F Patrik Laine (WPG)
F Auston Matthews (TOR) 
F Nathan MacKinnon (COL)
F Frans Nielsen (DET)
F Tyler Seguin (DAL)
F Kyle Okposo (BUF) 
F Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
F Vincent Trocheck (FLA) 
F Jonathan Toews (CHI)
D Victor Hedman (TBL) 
D Duncan Keith (CHI)
D Erik Karlsson (OTT) 
D P.K. Subban (NSH)
D Shea Weber (MTL) 
D Ryan Suter (MIN)
G Carey Price (MTL) 
G Corey Crawford (CHI)
G Tuukka Rask (BOS) 
G Devan Dubnyk (MIN)
F Sidney Crosby (PIT) 
F Jeff Carter (LAK)
F Taylor Hall (NJD)
F Johnny Gaudreau (CGY)
F Evgeni Malkin (PIT) 
F Bo Horvat (VAN)
F Alex Ovechkin (WSH) 
F Ryan Kesler (ANA)
F Wayne Simmonds (PHI) 
F Connor McDavid (EDM)
F John Tavares (NYI) 
F Joe Pavelski (SJS)
D Justin Faulk (CAR) 
D Brent Burns (SJS)
D Seth Jones (CBJ) 
D Drew Doughty (LAK)
D Ryan McDonagh (NYR) 
D Cam Fowler (ANA)
G Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) 
G Martin Jones (SJS)
G Braden Holtby (WSH) 
G Mike Smith (ARI)

In other NHL news . . .

DUCKS ACQUIRE ENROTH IN DEAL WITH TORONTO

The Anaheim Ducks acquired goaltender Jhonas Enroth from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a seventh-round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Enroth, 28 (6/25/88), has posted a 50-69-16 record with seven shutouts, a 2.84 goals-against average (GAA) and .909 save percentage (SV%) in 153 career NHL games with Toronto, Los Angeles, Dallas and Buffalo.

The 5-10, 175 pound goaltender has represented Sweden at the international level, most recently at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Enroth also earned a silver medal with Sweden at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and gold at the 2013 World Championship.

Selected by Buffalo in the second round (46th overall) of the 2006 NHL Draft, the Stockholm, Sweden native posted career highs in GAA (2.17), SV% (.922) and shutouts (2) with Los Angeles in 2015-16. He began this season with the Maple Leafs, making four starts in six appearances. Enroth also appeared in three games with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL), going 2-1-0 with a .904 SV%.

DUCKS CONTINUE TO ROLL

John Gibson (34 saves) recorded his second shutout in his last four appearances (also Jan. 4 vs. DET) to backstop the Ducks to their fourth win in their last five games.

LATE OVERTIME GOAL LIFTS PREDATORS OVER CANUCKS

The Canucks tied the game with 48.6 seconds remaining in regulation, but Calle Jarnkrok scored a shorthanded goal with 1.5 seconds left in overtime as the Predators snapped a six-game home losing streak (0-3-3).

Jarnkrok became the first player in franchise history to score a shorthanded goal in overtime.

Jarnkrok (4:58) also scored the latest overtime goal in franchise history, besting the mark of 4:44 by Andy Delmore on Jan. 7, 2003 vs. STL and Marek Zidlicky on Jan. 31, 2004 vs. SJS.

BLACKHAWKS MOVE WITHIN A POINT OF FIRST PLACE IN THE NHL

Duncan Keith (1-1—2) scored his second career regular-season overtime goal (also Dec. 19, 2008 at CGY) to lead the Blackhawks to their fourth straight win.

At 27-12-5 (59 points), the Western Conference-leading Blackhawks climbed within a point of the Blue Jackets (28-8-4, 60 points) for first place in the NHL.

Keith added an assist and extended his point streak to five games (1-5—6). He leads Blackhawks defensemen with 2-29—31 this season (44 GP).

TUESDAY’S RESULTS (Home Team in Caps)

BUFFALO 4, Philadelphia 1
CAROLINA 5, Columbus 3
Boston 5, ST. LOUIS 3
NASHVILLE 2, Vancouver 1 (OT)
CHICAGO 4, Detroit 3 (OT)
San Jose 5, EDMONTON 3
ANAHEIM 2, Dallas 0

WEDNESDAY’S ACTION (All Times Eastern)

Florida @ NY Islanders, 7 p.m., MSG+, FS-F
Montreal @ Winnipeg, 7:30 p.m., SN, RDS
Pittsburgh @ Washington, 8 p.m., TVAS, NBCSN
San Jose @ Calgary, 9:30 p.m., SN, SN1, CSN-CA

PENGUINS, CAPITALS CLASH ON RIVALRY NIGHT

NBCSN’s Wednesday Night Rivalry features a Metropolitan Division matchup between the Penguins (26-8-5, 57 points) and Capitals (26-9-5, 57 points) at Verizon Center. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby enters the contest leading the NHL with 26 goals this season, while Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (544-455—999) sits one point shy of becoming the first player in franchise history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.

NHL CELEBRATES 100 GREATEST PLAYERS

The National Hockey League will celebrate the 100 Greatest NHL Players with THE NHL100, a star-studded primetime television special hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Jon Hamm and featuring special appearances from 2017 NHL All-Star players and famous hockey fans from the worlds of movies and television, as well as musical performances.

THE NHL100 will showcase the entire collection of the 100 Greatest NHL Players, with 67 members (who played predominantly from 1967-present) being unveiled at the event. These players will join the 33 legends (who played primarily from 1917-1966) who were announced at the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic on Jan. 1.

"I grew up a huge hockey fan and a St. Louis Blues die-hard, so it's an absolute dream come true to host THE NHL100, where I'll be among the best players to ever play the game that I love so much," said Hamm. "To share a stage with the NHL legends I idolized as well as the best players in the league today will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can't wait to bring this unique hockey celebration to my second hometown — Los Angeles."

DUCKS TO CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF 2007 CHAMPIONSHIP

The Anaheim Ducks will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the 2007 Stanley Cup Championship on Sunday, March 12. The celebration will mark the first time since winning the title that the players have reunited as a group. The pregame ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. (game at 6:30 p.m.). The Stanley Cup will also be on site.

The 2007 Ducks became the first team from California to win the Stanley Cup. Anaheim was also the first West Coast team to win the Stanley Cup since the 1925 Victoria Cougars.

DUCKS TO HAVE OUTDOOR WATCH PARTY

The Anaheim Ducks will host an outdoor watch party on January 21 at Honda Center when the Ducks take on the Minnesota Wild. The event will pay tribute to a century of NHL hockey and will feature the NHL’s Centennial Fan Arena, including an NHL Museum truck, the Stanley Cup, a never-before-seen Zamboni virtual reality exhibit and ball hockey rink.

The 53-foot NHL museum will feature an interactive interior with original video content, exclusive memorabilia, and fan activations. Fans will have the opportunity to interact and see one-of-a-kind items from key events in Anaheim Ducks history as well as interact with Teemu Selanne and other Anaheim Ducks Alumni.

The festivities begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, with the Ducks vs. Wild puck drop at 6 p.m. The free event is open to all and fans are invited to stay to watch the Ducks, evening contest live at Honda Center.

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services