Avs A-Plenty In All-Star Lineup
The Colorado Avalanche will be well represented in front of their hometown fans in the NHL All-Star game.
Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy (174,963 votes), center Joe Sakic (126,073) and defenseman Ray Bourque (215,903) will start for the North American team, based on final voting results released Saturday. Colorado center Peter Forsberg (209,182) will start for the World All-Stars in the game in Denver on Feb. 4.
It marks the first time a team has had as many as four players start the game since the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins. This is the 15th season fan balloting has determined starting lineups.
Other starters for the North American team include forwards Theo Fleury of the New York Rangers (152,785) and Anaheim's Paul Kariya (151,893), and St. Louis defenseman Chris Pronger (176,667).
Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr received the most votes for the third time in four years with 275,395 and will start at forward for the World All-Stars, along with Florida's Pavel Bure (135,023), last year's All-Star game MVP. Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom (218,714) and Carolina's Sandis Ozolinsh (185,173) will be the starting defensemen, and Buffalo's Dominik Hasek (196,239) will be the starting goalie.
The remaining players for the North America roster, to be selected by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department, will be announced Tuesday, and the remaining players on the World All-Stars roster will be announced Wednesday.
Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux, who came back after a 3 1/2-year retirement, probably will play in thgame as a reserve or by invitation from commissioner Gary Bettman. Since 1991, players such as Guy Lafleur, Bryan Trottier, Brad Marsh, Mark Howe and Mark Messier have been put on All-Star rosters that way.
Bourque will make his 19th career All-Star game appearance, moving into second place on the career list behind Gordie Howe's 23. Bourque, 40, will become the seventh oldest player to appear, following Howe (51), Doug Harvey (44), Gump Worsley (42), Allan Stanley (41), Jacques Plante (41) and Larry Robinson (40).
St. Louis' Joel Quenneville will coach the North America team, and Ottawa's Jacques Martin will be behind the bench for the World All-Stars. This is the fourth year of the North America vs. World format.
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