Anaheim, Calif. – Wojtek Wolski’s name was on the list. Peter Budaj’s name was on the list. But where was the name of Avalanche rookie Paul Stastny?
That is what everyone around the Avs was asking Saturday afternoon after the NHL released the rosters for next week’s YoungStars game in Dallas, as part of the league’s all-star festivities.
Stastny – third among NHL rookie scorers with 33 points entering Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks – was left off the Western Conference roster. Only 11 players from each conference were selected, and Stastny seemed a lock to be one of them.
Stastny’s point total was two more than Wolski, who will be one of six forwards representing the West. Wolski’s 15 goals lead all Western rookies, second only to the 20 by Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin, who will play for the East in the game Jan. 23 at American Airlines Arena.
Budaj, who started against the Ducks, was the only goalie selected by the West. He carried a 12-9-2 record into Saturday, with a 2.59 goals-against average. Atlanta goalie Kari Lahtonen will start for the East.
Budaj is the third Avalanche goalie to play in the YoungStars game since 2003. David Aebischer and Phil Sauve were the others.
Former University of Denver defenseman Matt Carle will play, representing San Jose. Carle recently was demoted to Worcester (Mass.) of the American Hockey League by the Sharks, but was recalled Thursday.
Stastny recently moved into a house in Cherry Creek with Wolski, after living with two former DU teammates.
Footnotes
The Ducks again started goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who beat the Avalanche in four straight playoff games last season. Starter Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been sidelined with a groin injury…. The Avs will take today off…. The Avs on Friday sent rookie Ben Guite, who scored a goal in Tuesday’s shootout loss to Detroit, back to Albany (N.Y.) of the AHL.
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com.
