Milan Hejduk of the Avalanche has been named to NHL All-Star Game, the league announced today. Hejduk, a right wing will make his third career all-star appearance for the Western Conference.
Hejduk is leading the Avs in goals with 13 and ranks second in points with 29.
Hejduk, 32, appeared in the 2000 and 2001 all-star games.
This season’s game will be played Jan. 25 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Lidstrom an All-Star for 10th straight time
Nicklas Lidstrom is headed to the NHL All-Star game for the 10th straight season, but for the first time as captain of the Stanley Cup champion.
The six-time Norris Trophy winner, as the league’s best defenseman, and Detroit Red Wings teammate Pavel Datsyuk were among 15 players chosen Wednesday to fill out the Western Conference roster for the midseason classic to be played Jan. 25 in Montreal.
Lidstrom, who will be making his 11th All-Star appearance, became the first European captain of a Stanley Cup champion last season when he led the Red Wings over the Pittsburgh Penguins for Hockeytown’s fourth title in 11 seasons.
Detroit (27-7-5), second in the West with 59 points, had no players elected to the starting lineup in fan balloting. The rest of the roster was picked by the NHL’s hockey operations department, after consultation with general managers. The Eastern Conference team will be announced Thursday.
The NHL-leading San Jose Sharks (29-5-5), also shut out of the starting lineup, will be represented by center Joe Thornton and defenseman Dan Boyle. Thornton is an All-Star for the sixth straight time, but Boyle will make his debut — in his first season with the Sharks after being traded in the offseason by Tampa Bay.
He will be joined by fellow first-timers, goalie Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber, and left wing Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings.
Montreal native Roberto Luongo hopes to return home for his third All-Star game, but he has been out since late November due to a groin injury. The Vancouver Canucks goalie earned his spot by posting five shutouts and a sparkling goals-against average of 2.17 in 19 games this season.
It will be a homecoming for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray, who played seven seasons with the Canadiens and made two trips to the All-Star game while with Montreal.
Columbus forward Rick Nash, who set an All-Star record by scoring 12 seconds into last year’s game at Atlanta en route to a hat trick in the West’s 8-7 loss to the East, is back along with Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla, Colorado Avalanche right wing Milan Hejduk, Dallas Stars center Mike Modano, Phoenix Coyotes right wing Shane Doan and St. Louis Blues center Keith Tkachuk.
They join fellow forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, and defenseman Brian Campbell of the Chicago Blackhawks, along with forward Ryan Getzlaf, defenseman Scott Niedermayer and goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Anaheim Ducks, who were elected to the starting lineup by fans in online and text messaging balloting.
Associated Press
2008-09 All-Star Rosters
Game: Jan. 25 at Bell Centre, Montreal
x-voted starter
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Forwards
x-Patrick Kane, Chicago; x-Jonathan Toews, Chicago; x-Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim; Jarome Iginla, Calgary; Milan Hejduk, Colorado; Rick Nash, Columbus; Mike Modano, Dallas; Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit; Dustin Brown, Los Angeles; Shane Doan, Phoenix; Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis; Joe Thornton, San Jose.
Defensemen
x-Brian Campbell, Chicago; x-Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim; Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit; Sheldon Souray, Edmonton; Shea Weber, Nashville; Dan Boyle, San Jose.
Goalies
x-Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Anaheim; Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota; Roberto Luongo, Vancouver.
Eastern Conference will be released Thursday.
