NHL Announces All-Star Teams
On Wednesday morning, the NHL announced the first and second team All-NHL selections as made by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
The lists were laughable, pathetic and sad, and the voting totals open the door for further debate for more transparency in voting, if not an overhaul of the entire system.
Here are the first and second All-NHL teams that were announced:
- First Team
RW: Alex Ovechkin, Washington
C: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
LW: Chris Kunitz, Pittsburgh
D: PK Subban, Montreal
D: Ryan Suter, Minnesota
G: Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus
- Second Team
RW: Martin St. Louis, Tampa
C: Jonathan Toews, Chicago
LW: Alex Ovechkin, Washington
D: Kris Letang, Pittsburgh
D: Francois Beauchemin, Anaheim
G: Henrik Lundqvist, NY Rangers
This is the first time Toews has been selected first or second team All-NHL.
Obviously there’s something wrong with this picture: Ovechkin made the first and second teams, even though he played almost exclusively at right wing this season. What’s worse, an email sent out by the PHWA to voters in early April stressed that Ovechkin was a right wing this season, and should be voted on as such.
Yet he was named second team All-NHL at left wing, barely edging out Edmonton’s Taylor Hall.
Chicago’s Patrick Kane finished only three points behind St. Louis for second among right wings, and Duncan Keith finished only seven points behind Beauchemin for fourth among defensemen.
Looking at the final voting totals, though, there are a lot more issues than just Ovechkin being named twice. Here are a few lowlights from the voting totals:
- Chicago’s Nick Leddy received as many total votes (two) and Ottawa’s Sergei Gonchar, and one more than Florida’s Brian Campbell (one). Among Blackhawks defensemen, only Keith and Leddy received votes.
- Tampa’s Steven Stamkos (two first place votes), Carolina’s Alex Semin (four third place votes) and St. Louis’ Chris Stewart (two third place votes) received more votes than Chicago’s Marian Hossa (one third place vote) at right wing.
- Chicago’s Patrick Kane and Tampa’s Martin St. Louis each received one first place vote at left wing.
While it may seem like this is a “who cares” issue, I believe there are bonuses at stake for some if not all the players selected. By Ovechkin being named twice, some other player didn’t get a bonus they should have gotten for being selected to the all star team.
But then … they’re all filthy millionaires anyway so I guess it’s still a “who cares” issue.
…nobody ever accused the Professional Hockey Writers of being bright?
This should boost Ovechkin’s shot at becoming the next “most interesting man in the world.”
Doesn’t matter except for someone deserving that lost a bonus, like ER says. What does matter is which team and which players are passing around the Cup this summer.
What matters to me is…..I hate that thug Ovechkin
no one remembers losers like ovie.
Tab- I don’t know what is more absurd- Stewart/Semin getting more votes than Hoss…
or the Great 8 getting to play right and left wing???
The minute you realize it involves the PHWA is the minute you know its ok to disregard the outcome.
this ovechkin debacle is gonna make a DYNAMITE trivia question in a few years.
How does Patrick Kane not make those lists? Playing without a centre for most of the year, on a dismal PP…the Conn Smythe winner…WOW!
I would have voted for CC. What were his totals?