The NHL All-Star Game takes on many forms, and sometimes, it takes on no form at all. This season, there won’t be a game, but instead, a tournament called the 4 Nations Face-Off.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun and not pick the rosters for both the Eastern and Western Conferences, right? That said, I wanted to roll with something closer to the 2023 game as opposed to what we saw in 2024, which took on a different format.
The rules for picking these rosters were simple:
- One player from each team in the Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions
- Each team must have two goaltenders and at least one defenseman
- No more than three players may come from a single team
- For simplicity, injured players listed won’t have a replacement since no actual game is taking place
Atlantic Division
Coach: Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
- David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
- Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
- Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings
- Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
- Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators
- Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
- Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators
- Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Nikita Kucherov was the shoo-in, and so far, Mitch Marner has outlasted Auston Matthews. David Pastrnak is having an off-year by his own standards, but he’s arguably the Bruins most productive player.
Sam Reinhart once again is enjoying a career season, while Lucas Raymond has shown he’s going to be a force in Hockeytown for years on end. Rasmus Dahlin has become Mr. Reliable in Buffalo, while Brandon Hagel is doing the same in Tampa.
Tim Stutzle and Nick Suzuki are quietly putting together a pair of outstanding campaigns in Ottawa and Montreal, while Linus Ullmark and Andrei Vasilevskiy have set the gold standard in the net.
Metropolitan Division
Coach: Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals
- Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
- Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
- Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
- Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils
- Zach Werensky, Columbus Blue Jackets
- Kirill Marchenko, Columbus Blue Jackets
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
- Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes
- Ilya Sorokin, NY Islanders
- Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey Devils
Alex Ovechkin would’ve gotten the nod no matter what, despite missing quite a few contests earlier this season. Jack Hughes picked up where he left off, while Travis Konecny is the bright spot on what’s been a roller coaster of a Flyers team.
Jesper Bratt has also been playing at a high level in Newark, while Zach Werensky and Kirill Marchenko have carried the Blue Jackets through a season marred with adversity. Sidney Crosby snags another All-Star appearance in this reality, while Artemi Panarin and Sebastian Aho earn the honor over a few other household names on their teams.
Ilya Sorokin reps the New York Islanders, and Jacob Markstrom, despite his injury, has done more than enough to secure a spot as the third New Jersey Devil.