The vote is in as four more players were added to the NHL All-Star Game as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner, Washington Capitals’ T.J. Oshie, St. Louis Blues’ David Perron and Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes were voted in by fans as the Last Men In.
For Marner, it will be the forward’s first all-star appearance despite posting a 94-point performance in the 2018-19 season. However, Marner remains on a similar pace and has impressive numbers once again. He currently has 11 goals and 42 points in just 34 games this season, putting him at a 100-goal pace had he not missed several weeks with a high ankle sprain. He joins Auston Matthews and Frederik Andersen as a third member of the team on the Atlantic Division roster.
Oshie will also be attending the all-star game for the first time in his career. The 33-year-old has had a solid career, but gets voted in as he has 18 goals through the first 45 games of the season and looks to be heading for a 30-goal pace. He will join defenseman John Carlsson and goaltender Braden Holtby. Alex Ovechkin was also supposed to go, but has opted to skip it for a second straight year. Head coach Todd Reirden is also going as coach of the Metro Division.
Perron is another addition for Stanley Cup champions, who will be the hosts of the all-star game, and gives the team four players on the Central Division squad. The 31-year-old looks to be heading for one of the best seasons of his career as he already has 19 goals through 45 games, including four overtime goals so far this year. Perron will be joined by forwards Ryan O’Reilly, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and goaltender Jordan Binnington.
Finally, a defenseman was added in the Pacific Division, a much needed position for that squad, which had just Mark Giordano on the roster until the fan vote. Hughes has been a revelation for Vancouver and while fellow rookie Cale Makar gets most of the headlines, Hughes has posted four goals and 30 points in 43 games and is averaging 21:22 of ATOI in his first full season. He will join forward Elias Petersson and goaltender Jacob Markstrom as the Canucks’ representatives.
How is Marchand not in
Seriously??? He’s a great player, but the only fans in the NHL that don’t hate his guts are in Boston. That isn’t a big enough pool of fans to draw from.
Cause it’s a fan vote ?
I agree. As a Leafs fan I hate Boston and Marchand but I can see he is one of the top 10-20 players in the game right now.
You’d think the fans would want to watch the best and most deserving players though, no?
JD are you saying Mitch doesn’t deserve it then? Cause if he’s not injured for 11 games he’d be on pace for 55 points, but it’s a high ankle sprain so guaranteed he’s been playing hurt this whole time too so probably add another 5-10 points easily if he was healthy, matching Marchand. Plus again fan vote means no one outside of Boston fans would be voting for the guy
I think regardless of Marner, Marchand is, inarguably, a star in the NHL. He was a top five point producer last year and he is again this year. I get that some fans don’t like him, but having seen him play multiple times over his career from junior to now – he is undeniably a fun and exciting player to watch. Him not being on the all star team despite being a top five point producer is the very definition of a snub.
It’s the All-Star team, not the All-Tired team
I agree. But he has been in before and is used to it.
And, Marchand is one of the very few in the last generation to be actually booed at an All-Star Game, although that *may* have been staged (some of it)…
Marchand not being named initially is an indictment of the problems with this current all star format. Marchand not being voted in is an indication not of fans hating Marchand, but how popular the Leafs and Marner are. It’s a potent national fan base. I assume Marchand will be named to the end of the year all star team which carries more weight.
Marner was on a 100 point pace, not 100 goal.
As a Boston fan I’m glad Marchy didn’t make it, let him rest and not participate in meaningless exhibition games like Ovi. Sucks that Pasta and Tuukka have to be in it. I’m happy for them but I’d rather they rest.
Great to see Oshie make 1st all star game in STL, he still a fan favorite.
how did it take Marner this long to get in on a 100 goal pace?
Quinn > Jack
No Mika is a joke