The NHL announced its 2018 NHL All-Star Game rosters Wednesday afternoon for the mid-season showcase game taking place at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, on January 28 at 3:30 p.m.
The All-Star Game will again be played in a 3-on-3 style tournament with four different teams. Each of the league’s four divisions (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific) will have their own 11-man squads comprised of players from teams within those divisions.
Aleksander Barkov made the cut and is the only representative of the Florida Panthers on Team Atlantic. Jonathan Huberdeau would also have been a worthy, perhaps even more worthy, addition and a case could be made for the inclusion of Vincent Trocheck, but with just eleven roster spots, and the host Lightning leading the league, the Cats were only going to get one player on the team.
Barkov is tied for second, with Trochceck, on the team in scoring with 40 points (14 goals 26 assists) in 41 games. His plus-four rating is best among Florida’s forwards and he is second on the club in shots on goal with 134.
Atlantic Division roster
Forwards: Aleksander Barkov (Panthers), Jack Eichel (Sabres), Nikita Kucherov (Lightning), Brad Marchand (Bruins), Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs), Steven Stamkos (Lightning)
Defensemen: Mike Green (Red Wings), Victor Hedman (Lightning), Erik Karlsson (Senators)
Goaltenders: Carey Price (Canadiens), Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning)
Coach: Jon Cooper (Lightning)