So All-Star starters were announced today. Sidney Crosby was the leading vote-getter. He will be joined by teammates Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Marc-André Fleury. Rounding out the starters are Blackhawks Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. Kudos to the Penguins fans for voting in Letang; he was voted in as a starter as a write-in entrant. I, myself, wrote his name in, but only once. I wrote in many other players who weren't on the ballot as well. My standard write-ins were Ryan Whitney, Ryan Kesler, and Patrick Sharp. I voted for them many times. I thinks it's stupid that they weren't on the standard ballot, but as Letang proved, you can be voted in as a write-in.
The All-Star format is different this year. Brendan Shanahan worked out the new format and I, for one, believe it's brilliant. There will be 36 more players named as All-Stars, regardless of conference. The 42 All-Stars will then decide which two players will be named captains of the two teams. The two captains will then pick players and the game will be Team Player 1 vs. Team Player 2. I am pretty sure that the two players picked will be Crosby and Ovechkin because the players know that that's what the fans want to see. So it will most likely be Team Crosby vs. Team Ovechkin. There will also be 12 rookies chosen to compete in the skills competitions, which means that Taylor Hall (among others) will most likely participate in the All-Star Game festivities.
For fun, here's who I think should be the 36 other All-Stars:
If it's OK for some teams to be unrepresented:
Forwards:
Corey Perry (ANA)
Teemu Selänne (ANA)
Derek Roy (BUF) - won't be able to participate
Eric Staal (CAR)
Patrick Sharp (CHI)
Matt Duchene (COL)
Loui Eriksson (DAL)
Brad Richards (DAL)
Pavel Datsyuk (DET) - won't be able to participate
Henrik Zetterberg (DET)
Anže Kopitar (LAK)
Claude Giroux (PHI)
Mike Richards (PHI)
Dany Heatley (SJS)
Martin St. Louis (TBL)
Steven Stamkos (TBL)
Ryan Kesler (VAN)
Daniel Sedin (VAN)
Henrik Sedin (VAN)
Nicklas Bäckström (WSH)
Alex Ovechkin (WSH)
Jarome Iginla (CGY) - injury replacement
Paul Stastny (COL) - injury replacement
Defencemen:
Ľubomír Višňovský (ANA)
Dustin Byfuglien (ATL)
Tobias Enström (ATL)
John-Michael Liles (COL)
Nicklas Lidstrom (DET)
Ryan Whitney (EDM) - won't be able to participate
Jack Johnson (LAK)
Brent Burns (MIN)
Keith Yandle (PHX)
Dan Boyle (SJS)
James Wisniewski (MTL) - injury replacement
Goaltenders:
Jonas Hiller (ANA)
Tim Thomas (BOS)
Jimmy Howard (DET)
Jonathan Quick (LAK)
Carey Price (MTL)
If all teams must have at least one representative:
Derek Roy (BUF) - won't be able to participate
Eric Staal (CAR)
Jarome Iginla (CGY)
Matt Duchene (COL)
Rick Nash (CBJ)
Brad Richards (DAL)
Pavel Datsyuk (DET) - won't be able to participate
Henrik Zetterberg (DET)
Anže Kopitar (LAK)
Patrik Eliáš (NJD)
John Tavares (NYI)
Brandon Dubinksy (NYR)
Mike Richards (PHI)
David Backes (STL)
Dany Heatley (SJS)
Martin St. Louis (TBL)
Steven Stamkos (TBL)
Mikhail Grabovski (TOR)
Daniel Sedin (VAN)
Henrik Sedin (VAN)
Alex Ovechkin (WSH)
Aleš Hemský (EDM) - injury replacement
Ryan Kesler (VAN) - injury replacement
Defencemen:
Ľubomír Višňovský (ANA)
Dustin Byfuglien (ATL)
Tobias Enström (ATL)
Nicklas Lidstrom (DET)
Ryan Whitney (EDM) - won't be able to participate
Jack Johnson (LAK)
Brent Burns (MIN)
Shea Weber (NSH)
Erik Karlsson (OTT)
Keith Yandle (PHX)
Jordan Leopold (BUF) - injury replacement
Goaltenders:
Jonas Hiller (ANA)
Tim Thomas (BOS)
Tomáš Vokoun (FLA)
Jonathan Quick (LAK)
Carey Price (MTL)