Toews 'relieved' he's not all-star captain

The two captains to choose sides for the NHL All-Star Game were named Tuesday, and Jonathan Toews wasn't one of them.

Detroit's Niklas Lidstrom and Carolina's Eric Staal were elected in an informal poll by the 42 participating all-stars.

“I'm relieved,” Toews said. “It will be a lot more fun. Hopefully I won't be the last guy picked. We'll let those older guys worry about it, and it will be fun either way.”

The 40-year-old Lidstrom was an obvious choice as one of the captains. Staal was somewhat of a surprise, but the game is being played in his home city of Raleigh, N.C., plus Sidney Crosby's recovery from a concussion makes him questionable for the Jan. 30 game.

Lidstrom and Stall will pick teams in a live fantasy draft Jan. 28.

“I was kind of surprised everyone was asking me who I was going to pick anyway, like you guys knew something I didn't,” Toews said. “I was pretty sure that wasn't going to happen.”

The Hawks will have four players in the All-Star Game in Toews, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane.

“Now we can joke with each other who gets picked before the other guy,” Toews said. “I guess it could have been fun (to be captain), but I think I'll be more comfortable sitting on the outside. It's only my second all-star appearance.”

Kane joked he didn't vote for Toews. Each all-star had to submit four names.

“I'll tell you I picked two from in here,” Kane said, referring to Sharp and Keith. “Not Toews.”

Up to speed:

The Hawks went through a mostly playful practice Tuesday and will get another day off Wednesday. Then it's back to serious work Thursday and Friday to prepare for games Saturday at Detroit and Sunday against Philadelphia.

“We certainly have two big games at the end of (the week),” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “We want to make sure that when we come out of our practices Thursday and Friday that we've got their pace up there knowing it's going to be needed against those teams.

“Hopefully we can sustain and build off our recent play knowing we're going to get tested and measured.”

No thanks:

Atlanta traded left wing Ben Eager to San Jose on Tuesday for a fifth-round draft choice. According to a source, the Hawks had no interest in bringing back Eager.