Matthews, Draisaitl among 12 fan-voted players added to All-Star Game rosters
The NHL announced the 12 fan-voted players heading to the 2023 All-Star Game on Thursday.
Two skaters and one goaltender have been added to each division's roster. The fan-driven selection process ran through Jan. 17, which included a Twitter component for the first time.
The eight-man initial rosters were unveiled on Jan. 6 and included one representative from each team.
Here are the latest group of players named to the All-Star Game:
Atlantic
| Position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| F | Auston Matthews | TOR |
| F | David Pastrnak | BOS |
| G | Andrei Vasilevskiy | TBL |
Matthews is tied for the Toronto Maple Leafs' lead in goals with 24 after a two-goal performance on Thursday. The 25-year-old captained the Atlantic Division at the 2022 All-Star Game. Pastrnak paces the Boston Bruins with 35 goals and 63 points. The 2020 All-Star Game MVP will make his third career appearance at the event. Vasilevskiy continues to be a model of consistency with the Tampa Bay Lightning, heading to his fifth career All-Star Game and tied for fourth in the league with 20 wins.
Metropolitan
| Position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| F | Artemi Panarin | NYR |
| D | Adam Fox | NYR |
| G | Ilya Sorokin | NYI |
Panarin, Fox, and Sorokin will all make their All-Star Game debuts in Florida. Panarin leads the New York Rangers in scoring with 47 points, while Fox ranks fourth among blue-liners league-wide. Sorokin's 34 games played with the New York Islanders are tied for the most by a goaltender this season.
Central
| Position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| F | Nathan MacKinnon | COL |
| F | Mikko Rantanen | COL |
| G | Connor Hellebuyck | WPG |
MacKinnon missing 11 games due to injury didn't impact the voting. The Colorado Avalanche star will play in his fourth All-Star Game and is joined by teammate Rantanen as a fellow fan-vote entry. Rantanen leads Colorado in goals (31) and points (56) while playing 22:55 per game, the most minutes for any forward in the league. Hellebuyck's Vezina-calibre 22 wins and .924 save percentage are major reasons why the Winnipeg Jets are tied for first in the West.
Pacific
| Position | Team | Player |
|---|---|---|
| F | Leon Draisaitl | EDM |
| F | Bo Horvat | VAN |
| G | Stuart Skinner | EDM |
Draisaitl is second in NHL scoring with 70 points, only missing out on the initial rosters thanks to Edmonton Oilers teammate Connor McDavid. Horvat is in the midst of a career year, tied for fifth in the league in goals with 30. He heads to his second All-Star Game, last representing the Vancouver Canucks at the event in 2017. Skinner joins Matty Beniers and Logan Thompson as rookies at the 2023 All-Star Game, all of whom feature for the Pacific Division.
The festivities in Florida begin with the All-Star Skills Competition on Feb. 3 and wrap up with the All-Star Game on Feb. 4.