Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin on Thursday was officially named the captain of the Metropolitan Division team for the NHL’s All-Star Game.
Ovechkin led all NHL players in fan voting, netting 30.4% of the votes for Metropolitan Division players.
The selection marks the 12th time that Ovechkin has been selected, but this year will be his eighth appearance since the Capitals star has sat out of the contest in recent seasons, citing rest. He said earlier this season, though, that he did intend on playing if he were chosen, and fans responded in kind with a heavy dose of votes.
In his 17th season, the 36-year-old is having one of the best seasons of his illustrious career. With 24 goals and 28 assists, Ovechkin is third in the NHL in points and second in goals. The only players he trails in those categories are Edmonton stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Draisaitl leads the league with 26 goals, while he and McDavid share the league lead in points with 53.
While Ovechkin was the only Capitals player selected, another Washington forward has a chance to be chosen. Evgeny Kuznetsov, who is having a bounce-back season with 12 goals and 23 assists, is the Capitals’ representative for the “Last Men In” fan voting. One player will be added to each team, and voting closes Monday night.
The NHL’s All-Star festivities will take place Feb. 4-5 in Las Vegas.
