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Looking Back: the 2012 All-Star Game

Players

All of the NHL's teams would be represented at the all-star game. 2011 Richard Winner Corey Perry represented Anaheim. Hulking blueliner Zdeno Chara and breakout sophomore Tyler Seguin represented Boston, along with Cup-winning goalie Tim Thomas, selected in the fan vote. Captain Jason Pominville and rookie depth forward Luke Adam represented Buffalo. Newly-minted 500-career-goal scorer Jarome Iginla represented Calgary. Rookie defenceman Justin Faulk was Carolina's sole representative. Chicago was set to send elite two-way centre Jonathan Toews, veteran winger Marian Hossa and the always-slick Patrick Kane. Eventual Calder-Trophy winner Gabriel Landeskog represented Colorado. Columbus was represented by rookie centre Ryan Johansen. Dallas' breakout star Jamie Benn was their one representative. Sublimely talented Pavel Datsyuk and goaltender Jimmy Howard represented Detroit. 2011 first-overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins represented Edmonton. In the midst of a bounceback season, playmaking defenceman Brian Campbell represented Florida. Los Angeles was represented by soon-to-be Cup winner Jonathan Quick. Minnesota was sending its captain Mikko Koivu. Montreal sent its star goaltender Carey Price. Nashville sent its dynamic duo of defencemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. New Jersey was set to send two rookies: centre Adam Henrique and defenceman Adam Larsson. The Islanders sent elite centre John Tavares. The Rangers sent goaltender "King" Henrik Lundqvist, soon-to-be three-time 40-goal scorer Marian Gaborik, and defensive defenceman Dan Girardi. Host Ottawa had four players named to the team in the fan vote: its top line of captain Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Milan Michalek, and soon-to-be Norris winner Erik Karlsson, also sending rookie winger Colin Greening. Philadelphia sent top centre Claude Giroux and veteran defenceman Kimmo Timonen, as well as rookie forwards Sean Couturier and Matt Read. Phoenix sent defenceman Keith Yandle. Pittsburgh sent Evgeni Malkin. San Jose sent Logan Couture. St. Louis sent goaltender Brian Elliott, in the midst of a breakout season. Tampa Bay sent soon-to-be 60-goal Richard winner Steven Stamkos. In addition to captain Dion Phaneuf, the Maple Leafs sent snipers Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel. Vancouver sent both Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, as well as defenceman Alexander Edler and rookie centre Cody Hodgson. Washington would be represented by perennial all-star Alex Ovechkin and defenceman Dennis Wideman. Winnipeg would send Dustin Byfuglien.

Replacement Picks

Plans change. A number of players, mostly due to injuries, didn't participate in the game. Toews, with a hand injury, Koivu, with a shoulder injury, and Byfuglien, with a knee injury, were all unable to play among the all-stars. The were replaced by Edmonton's Jordan Eberle, Philadelphia's Scott Hartnell, and Pittsburgh's Kris Letang, respectively. Among the rookies, the Devils duo of Adam Henrique and Adam Larsson were unable to play, as was Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, with groin, shoulder, and wrist injuries, respectively. They were replaced by Rangers speedster Carl Hagelin, Wild depth rookie Nick Johnson, and Canadiens puck-moving defenceman Raphael Diaz. Washington's Alex Ovechkin, who was serving a suspension coinciding with the All-Star Game, opted out of the festivities, despite the All-Star Game not counting in suspensions. He was replaced by Pittsburgh's James Neal. Sidney Crosby would have gotten in automatically, but wouldn't be truly recovered from his nasty 2011 concussion until March. Ducks winger Teemu Selanne and Red Wings defenceman Nickas Lidstrom, two of the NHL's oldest players at the time, requested to not be considered for selection to the all-star roster. Worth mentioning is that Toby Enstrom was the first choice to replace Byfuglien, but opted out. In all, only New Jersey and Winnipeg went unrepresented among either veterans or rookies.

The Fantasy Draft

Chara ended up captaining a team of Benn, Campbell, Datsyuk, Eberle, Gaborik, Hossa, Howard, Iginla, Kane, Kessel, Lupul, Malkin, Perry, Phaneuf, Price, Seguin, Suter, Thomas, Timonen, and Wideman. Alfredsson captained a team of Couture, Edler, Elliott, Girardi, Giroux, Hartnell, Karlsson, Letang, Lundqvist, Michalek, Neal, Pominville, Quick, both Sedins, Spezza, Stamkos, Tavares, Weber, and Yandle.

SuperSkills Results

  • Team Alfredsson won the Fastest Skater Event 4-2. Kris Letang, Jonathan Quick, Erik Karlsson earning points for winning their heats, and Carl Hagelin earning a point for winning the final. Colin Greening and Phil Kessel earned points for Team Chara for winning their heats.
    Team Chara won the Breakaway Challenge 1-0, Patrick Kane scoring a point for winning the fan vote.
    Team Chara won the Accuracy Shooting Event 3-2, Marian Hossa earning a point and Jamie Benn earning two, one for his heat and one for the final. Matt Read and Jason Spezza earned points for Team Alfredsson.
    Team Alfredsson won the Challenge Relay 3-0. A team of Nick Johnson, Shea Weber, Kris Letang, Steven Stamkos, Henrik Sedin, Milan Michalek, Logan Couture, and James Neal earned one point. A team of Alexander Edler, Keith Yandle, Scott Hartnell, John Tavares, Daniel Sedin, Craig Smith, Claude Giroux, and Jason Pominville earned two, one for their heat and one for having the fastest time overall.
    Team Chara won the Hardest Shot Event 3-2, Luke Adam earning one point and Zdeno Chara earning two, one for his matchup and one for the final. Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza earned points for Team Alfredsson.
    Team Alfredsson won the Elimination Shootout 10-3, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, and Kris Letang earning a point each, John Tavares and Jason Pominville, earning two, and Steven Stamkos earning three. Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla, and Kimmo Timonen each earned one point for Team Chara.
  • Team Alfredsson won the SuperSkills Competition 21-12.

Game Results

In the first period, Evgeni Malkin scored once and Marian Gaborik twice for Team Chara, Pavel Datsyuk, Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa, and Ryan Suter earning assists. Jason Spezza, Henrik Sedin, and John Tavares scored for Team Alfredsson, Dan Girardi, Milan Michalek, Scott Hartnell, Kris Letang, Jason Pominville, and Keith Yandle earning assists.

In the second period, Marian Gaborik and Joffrey Lupul, and Patrick Kane scored for Team Chara, Marian Hossa, Pavel Datsyuk, Phil Kessel, and Jordan Eberle earning assists. Jason Pominville scored once and Daniel Alfredsson twice for Team Alfredsson, James Neal, Steven Stamkos, Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin earning assists. Canadian rapper Drake performed during the second intermission.

In the third period, Phil Kessel, Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara, Corey Perry, and Joffrey Lupul scored for Team Chara, Brian Campbell, Evgeni Malkin, Corey Perry, Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Gaborik, Jarome Iginla, Dennis Wideman, Tyler Seguin, and Phil Kessel each earning an assist. Milan Michalek, Claude Giroux, and Daniel Sedin scored for Team Alfredsson, John Tavares, Jason Spezza, Scott Hartnell, Logan Couture, Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Alfredsson earning assists.

Team Chara beat Team Alfredsson 12-9 in the All-Star Game. Marian Gaborik won the All-Star MVP award.

Because of a lockout shortening the 2012/13 season to 48 games starting in mid-January 2013, no all-star game was played in 2012/13. The provision of the NHL not holding an all-star game in the same year as a Winter Olympics was retained in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, resulting in no All-Star Game taking place in 2013/14 either, as the Sochi Olympics took place that season.

Check back later for my rundown of the All-Star ballot.

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