At the award show on Thursday night, the NHL revealed its yearly All-Star teams. The following are the rosters that the members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association have chosen.
Initial All-Star Group
LW: Rangers’ Artemi Panarin
C: Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon
RW: Lightning, Nikita Kucherov
D: Canucks Quinn Hughes
D: Predators, Roman Josi
G: Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck
The Second All-Star Squad
LW: The Predators’ Filip Forsberg
C: Oilers’ Connor McDavid
RW: Boston Bruins’ David Pastrňák
D: Ranger Adam Fox
D: The avalanche Cale Makar
G: Canadian Thatcher Demko
With the First Team selection, MacKinnon completes an impressive 24-hour run, having already won the Ted Lindsay Award and the Hart Trophy in addition to winning MVP accolades cast by both players and the media. This is his third All-Star selection; the other two came from the Second Team in 2018 and 2020. This season, the 28-year-old pivot set a league record with 405 shots on goal and led the Avs in scoring with 51 goals and 140 points.
Interestingly, Kucherov was selected unanimously for the First Team at right wing according to the voting ledger, which can be found in the league’s announcement. It is the first time since Jarome Iginla of the Flames was selected first overall in 2002 following his Richard and Art Ross trophy victory. Similar to Iginla, Kucherov scored 144 points in 81 games to win this year’s Art Ross Trophy. He became the first winger in NHL history to reach 100 assists, tying with Darren McDavid for the league lead.
Superstar Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs, whose 69 goals this season are the most of any player since Mario Lemieux in 1995–96, is not on either team. In addition, he was unable to get past Kucherov, MacKinnon, and McDavid to the Hart Trophy finals. Despite this, he received nine First Team and fifty-five Second Team votes out of 187 votes, placing him third among centers in the All-Star voting. Sidney Crosby of the Penguins, who only featured on four ballots, was the only other center to be given consideration.
