Ovechkin to skip 2012 NHL All-Star game
Posted January 24, 2012 12:18 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Perennial NHL all-star Alex Ovechkin will not participate in this year’s festivities in Ottawa this weekend.
Following the news that Ovechkin has been suspended three games for his hit on Zybnek Michalek in Washington’s 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, Capitals general manager George McPhee announced that the star winger will not play in Sunday’s game.
McPhee told reporters that Ovechkin didn’t feel comfortable participating in the all-star game as a suspended player and that he didn’t want to be a distraction.
Despite Ovechkin currently being under suspension, it doesn’t interfere with Ovechkin being eligible to participate in all-star festivities. The NHL has punished players in the past for skipping the all-star game.
Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings were each suspended one game in 2009 for missing the all-star game to rest injuries.
The NHL has a policy that states: “All-Stars who are injured must have missed at least the last game before the All-Star break in order to be excused; otherwise, they must sit out the first regular-season game after the break.”
Ovechkin has 20 goals and 39 points in 47 games this season and the league has yet to name a replacement for the Russian superstar.
Toews out, Hartnell in
The Chicago Blackhawks announced Tuesday that forward Jonathan Toews has been placed on injured reserve.
Toews injured his arm when he was slashed by Florida Panthers defenceman Eric Gudbranson last Friday.
The 23-year-old is having one of the best statistical seasons of his career, recording 27 goals and 50 points in 49 games and was scheduled to participate in this weekend’s all-star game.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Hartnell has been added to the NHL all-star roster to replace Toews.
Hartnell is the Flyers’ leading goal-scorer with 25 and leads all NHL players with 13 power-play goals.
The Blackhawks also announced that Brandon Pirri from the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs has been recalled.
Pirri has registered two assists and a plus-3 rating in four games with the Blackhawks this season. The 20-year-old leads the IceHogs with 18 goals and a plus-12 rating, and ranks eighth in the AHL with 41 points (18G, 23A) in 41 games this season.
