RALEIGH, N.C. — It was as if Avalanche center Paul Stastny could see Bob Barker, holding a microphone, facing him in the Raleigh Convention Center, about to announce his winnings: “. . . a new car!”
Instead of being the final choice in the choose-up-sides draft for Sunday’s NHL All-Star Game — a distinction that would have earned him a new car as a “consolation” — Stastny on Friday night went next to last, to the team captained by Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal.
Toronto winger Phil Kessel was the final choice, going to the team captained by Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom. Kessel, a testicular cancer survivor, also will be able to designate a grassroots hockey program to receive $10,000 in contributions from the NHL Players Association and NHL Foundation.
“I would have taken a car,” Stastny said with a laugh after the internationally televised draft. “I think when it got down to the last five or six, we were all hoping we’d go last and get that car. . . . It was fun the way they did it, and it was fun to be a part of it.”
Avalanche center Matt Duchene, the other Colorado representative in the game, was taken 32nd among the 36 players in the pool available, going to Team Lidstrom. “I thought I was going to go last, so that was fine,” Duchene said.
The draft results meant not only that Duchene and Stastny will be on opposite sides in today’s SuperSkills competition and the Sunday All-Star Game, but also that there is no chance of a reprise of the Stastny-Duchene “Bang Bang Dance,” previously reserved for celebrating an Avalanche victory, at the RBC Center.
“My dad texted me and said, ‘You should do it anyway, just as a joke,” but that’s not going to happen,” Duchene said.
Said Stastny: “I was hoping we’d be on the same team and play together. I know he’ll be jealous because I got the white jersey, and he said that’s what he wanted originally, and now he’s coming back and saying he liked the blue instead.”
Avalanche defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was among the 12 rookies added to the teams for the SuperSkills, and he was one of the six placed on Team Lidstrom.
The draft came near the end of a hectic day for Duchene, Stastny and Shattenkirk. They all stayed at Stastny’s home Thursday night, got up early and caught a 6:50 a.m. flight out of Denver.
For Stastny, a late injury replacement this time who was an initial choice for the 2008 game before having to drop out because of an appendectomy, and Duchene, the trip to Raleigh also will be about family.
Stastny’s father, Hall of Fame winger Peter Stastny, represents Slovakia in the European Parliament, and he made last-minute travel arrangements to get to Raleigh late Friday night. The Stastnys on Sunday will become the eighth father and son to have played in the All-Star Game.
“I was surprised he was coming in,” Paul, a 2010 U.S. Olympian, said. “He doesn’t want to miss it. It was like the Olympics, where I didn’t think too much of it until afterwards. It’s something unique and something I’ll remember in the long run.”
Duchene’s parents and sister, who live in Haliburton, Ontario, are scheduled to arrive in Raleigh today.
“I think a lot of what’s happened in my career has been a huge thing for them as well, and they’re so much into it,” Duchene said. “It’s great for them to come down to watch me play in this and have a good vacation.”
Duchene, who turned 20 on Jan. 16, was supplanted as the youngest player in the All-Star Game when Carolina’s Jeff Skinner, 18, was a late injury addition. Skinner still looks young enough to play Little League baseball. Duchene and Skinner were teammates on a summer team about 10 years ago.
“Good for him for being selected,” said Duchene, “and it’s great that he gets to do it in his hometown.”
Terry Frei: 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com
In fathers’ footsteps
Paul Stastny will become the eighth son in league history to follow his father to the All-Star Game. A look:
Son, games Father, games
Syl Apps Jr., 1 Syl Apps Sr., 2
Brian Conacher, 1 Lionel Conacher, 1
Kevin Dineen, 2 Bill Dineen, 2
Lee Fogolin, 1 Lidio Fogolin, 2
Mark Howe, 4 Gordie Howe, 23
Brett Hull, 8 Bobby Hull, 12
Zach Parise, 1 J.P. Parise, 2
Paul Stastny, 1 Peter Stastny, 6
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
