Toews, Keith headed to All-Star Game
The Blackhawks will have at least two players going to the All-Star Game.
Center Jonathan Toews and defenseman Duncan Keith were among the six players voted by fans to appear in the All-Star Game on Jan. 30 in Raleigh, N.C.
The other four players picked by the fans were all Pittsburgh Penguins: forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, defenseman Kris Letang and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
Crosby received the most votes with 635,509. Toews got 407,676 votes and Keith 382,162.
“Obviously when you get voted in by the fans it's really special,” Keith said. “You always want to be one of those guys recognized by the fans. To be voted in by them is an honor.”
Toews also thanked the fans.
“It's an honor for me,” Toews said. “There are a lot of guys in this room who could have represented the Blackhawks.”
An additional 36 players will be named all-stars on Jan. 11 by the NHL's hockey operations department.
Even though Patrick Sharp was not on the all-star ballot, he is a prime candidate to be added with his 23 goals ranking third in the league behind only Crosby and Tampa Bay's Steve Stamkos.
Once the 42 players are named they will select two captains, who then will choose sides in a fantasy draft to take place on Jan. 28 and televised by Versus.
“It obviously puts it in the hands of the players a bit more,” Toews said.
Because the Hawks won the Stanley Cup, Joel Quenneville will coach one of the all-star teams.
Lighting it up:
With 2 more goals on Monday, giving him 23, Patrick Sharp needs only 2 more to equal his output from last season.
“It doesn't matter who he plays with, he goes out and creates offense for us and scores big goals for us,” Jonathan Toews said. “We definitely need him scoring if we want to win.”
Sharp skated on a line with Tomas Kopecky and Bryan Bickell at Los Angeles as Joel Quenneville changed things up again.
Quenneville had Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa on a line and used Patrick Kane with Dave Bolland.
“Trying to find balance,” Quenneville said. “Everyone is familiar with one another.”
Power people:
The Hockey News' annual list of the sport's 100 people of power and influence is out with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Hawks president John McDonough making the cut.
Toews is ranked 19th, McDonough 25th and Kane No. 85.
The publication said of Toews: Winning the Stanley Cup “raised his profile tenfold. His clean-cut image and well-spoken manner make Toews, 22, a future leader and spokesman among his peers.”
New NHL Players Association executive director Donald Fehr was No. 1 on the list.