No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard was just named the top rookie for the second month in a row.
And now, the Chicago Blackhawks center is getting another honor. He was one of the first 32 players, one from each team, named to the initial roster for next month’s NHL All-Star Game.
Bedard, 18, who will become the youngest All-Star in NHL history, leads his team and all rookies with 15 goals, 18 assists and 33 points. Some of his goals have been spectacular.
Though players have been named, they haven’t been assigned to teams yet. The NHL will return to the format of having team captains pick the teams in a draft, which will occur two days before the All-Star Game.
Fans will get to vote for the final eight skaters and four goaltenders through Jan. 11.
Here is who made the initial roster for the Feb. 1-3 All-Star weekend (appearance in parentheses):
Which Eastern Conference players were named to the NHL All-Star Game?
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (4th)
Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres (3rd)
Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes (3rd)
Boone Jenner, Columbus Blue Jackets (1st)
Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings (2nd)
Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers (1st)
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens (3rd)
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils (3rd)
Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders (3rd)
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers (2nd)
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators (4th)
Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers (2nd)
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (6th)
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning (5th)
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (5th)
Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals (2nd)
Are there any snubs?
The Rangers’ Artemi Panarin didn’t make the list, even though he was fourth in the NHL in scoring at the time of the announcement. But there’s a good reason. He and his wife are expecting their second child, he said.
Matthews (30) is the NHL’s leading goal scorer, but teammate William Nylander is fifth in scoring and opened the season with an 18-game point streak. He’ll likely get voted in by fans.
Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle is worthy of an All-Star nod. Barzal leads the Islanders in scoring but defenseman Noah Dobson is one point back and would also be a good choice. Jenner, the Blue Jackets’ leading goal scorer, is currently out with a broken jaw but should recover in time.
Which Western Conference players were named to the NHL All-Star Game?
Frank Vatrano, Anaheim Ducks (1st)
Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes (4th)
Elias Lindholm, Calgary Flames (1st)
Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks (1st)
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (5th)
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars (1st)
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (7th)
Cam Talbot, Los Angeles Kings (2nd)
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild (3rd)
Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators (2nd)
Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues (1st)
Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks (2nd)
Oliver Bjorkstrand, Seattle Kraken (1st)
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks (2nd)
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights (4th)
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets (4th)
Are there any snubs?
Not really. The Canucks could have had multiple choices beyond Hughes, including forwards J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser and goalie Thatcher Demko. Seattle’s Vince Dunn was overlooked, but Bjorkstrand is the Kraken’s No. 2 scorer. Goalie Joey Daccord, who got a shutout in the Winter Classic, also would have been a good choice for Seattle.
When and where is the 2024 NHL All-Star Game?
All-Star weekend will be Feb. 1-3 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. The first night features captains drafting their teams (6 p.m. ET, ESPN). The revamped skills competition is on Feb. 2 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and the 3-on-3 All-Star Game is on Feb. 3 (3 p.m. ET, ABC).
How does the fan vote work?
Fans can vote on NHL.com, the NHL app or on X, formerly Twitter. Here are the eligibility guidelines. Each fan post must include the complete hashtag “#NHLAllStarVote” and a player’s full name or X handle or tag the player’s X handle. Only referencing a last name will not count.