2011 NHL All-Star Draft: Save the Best for Last?
By Angie Wiatrowski in News on Jan 29, 2011 9:00PM
It’s time to put the best to the test in the hockey world, after skipping last year’s NHL All-Star game due to the lengthy break for the Vancouver Olympics. It all started with the NHL All-Star draft Friday night. The NHL invented this new All-Star format after five years of the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference.
Thirty-six players were chosen in the draft but things didn’t necessarily end as expected or hoped; at least according to Blackhawks All-Stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp.
Teammate Patrick Kane was named an alternate captain, getting a chance to choose his teammates regardless of which conference they belonged to. However, the All-Star captain threw Toews and Sharp for a loop as Toews sat there anxiously, getting the 16th pick from Kane. The Blackhawks captain was the last Hawk to be selected in the draft, and will be with plenty former teammates on Niklas Lidstrom’s squad such as Kane, Duncan Keith, Atlanta’s Dustin Byfuglien, and Minnesota’s Martin Havlat.
Kane’s reluctance to stick with his teammates may backfire on him, considering Sharp, selected right before Toews, will be part of Eric Staal’s squad. The lone Hawk however will be with familiar faces as he will be coached by Joel Quenneville and Mike Haviland.
It's still all just fun and games as Sharp didn’t seem to have any hard feelings about the situation, telling CSNChicago.com, “(Kane) had a few chances to grab me and didn’t, so I’ll have to make him pay (on Sunday),” Sharp said. “I got the Hawks coaches on my side, anyways, so it looks like I’ll get some ice time. Other than that you have to face all those guys, but it should be cool.”
The All-Star weekend kicks off tonight with NHL All-Star Skills Competition, a competition showing the various talents of the All-Stars. The event includes hardest shot, fastest skater, breakaway challenge, the YoungStars Game -- three-on-three rookies vs. sophomores, accuracy shooting, and elimination shootout where all 36 players will skate in on goaltenders one after another in sort of a ‘last man standing’ kind of deal.
Patrick Kane will represent team Lidstrom in accuracy shooting and challenge relay, Jonathan Toews in accuracy shooting and challenge relay, and Duncan Keith in in the fastest skater.
Patrick Sharp will represent team Staal in fastest skater and hardest shot.