Lupul, Lundqvist named all-star assistants
Posted January 21, 2012 12:11 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Phil Kessel can breathe a little easier heading into Thursday’s all-star game draft.
The NHL announced Saturday that Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul and New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist will join Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson and Boston’s Zdeno Chara as assistant captains for next weekend’s all-star festivities.
Lupul will assist in the roster-selection process for Team Chara, likely thwarting any chance Kessel will be the last player selected for the second straight year, while Lundqvist will team up with his fellow countryman on Team Alfredsson.
With 20 goals and 51 points in 46 games, Lupul is enjoying a break-out campaign and is two points shy of his career-high in points. The 28-year-old Ft. Saskatchewan, Alta., native, who registered a hat trick in the NHL YoungStars Game during all-star weekend in 2004, will be making his all-star game debut.
Lundqvist has backstopped the Rangers to first place in the Eastern Conference, posting a 20-10-4 record with a 1.93 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and four shutouts in 34 appearances. The 29-year-old has competed alongside Alfredsson for their native Sweden in two Olympic Winter Games, including the gold medal-winning side in 2006.
Lundqvist is the only goaltender in NHL history to post at least 30 victories in each of his first six NHL seasons and is on track to extend that mark in 2011-12. He will be making his third consecutive all-star game appearance.
