The best team doesn’t always get the most players on the All-Star team nor does the host city, but in the case of the Tampa Bay Lightning, that’s exactly what’s happening this season.
Local fans attending the 2018 NHL All-Star Game in Tampa will see plenty of familiar faces.
It’s not any kind of hometown bias, either. The Tampa Bay Lightning currently lead the NHL with 65 points, so it’s only right that they have four representatives on the NHL All-Star Game rosters announced today. Captain Steven Stamkos will be joined by current NHL scoring leader Nikita Kucherov, defenseman Victor Hedman and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy on the Atlantic Division squad.
Right behind the Lightning with three representatives are the L.A. Kings, who have Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick on the Pacific Division roster. The best team in the West, the amazing first-year Vegas Golden Knights, have two All-Stars: forward James Neal and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Other teams with two players making the cut include the St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.
Take a look at the complete 2018 NHL All-Star Game rosters by division:
Atlantic
- Aleksander Barkov, F, Florida Panthers
- Jack Eichel, F, Buffalo Sabres
- Nikita Kucherov, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Brad Marchand, F, Boston Bruins
- Auston Matthews, F, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Steven Stamkos (C), F, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Mike Green, D, Detroit Red Wings
- Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Erik Karlsson, D, Ottawa Senators
- Carey Price, G, Montreal Canadiens
- Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning
Metropolitan
- Josh Bailey, F, New York Islanders
- Sidney Crosby, F, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Claude Giroux, F, Philadelphia Flyers
- Taylor Hall, F, New Jersey Devils
- Alex Ovechkin (C), F, Washington Capitals
- John Tavares, F, New York Islanders
- Noah Hanifin, D, Carolina Hurricanes
- Seth Jones, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
- Kris Letang, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Braden Holtby, G, Washington Capitals
- Henrik Lundqvist, G, New York Rangers
Central
- Patrick Kane, F, Chicago Blackhawks
- Nathan MacKinnon, F, Colorado Avalanche
- Brayden Schenn, F, St. Louis Blues
- Tyler Seguin, F, Dallas Stars
- Eric Staal, F, Minnesota Wild
- Blake Wheeler, F, Winnipeg Jets
- John Klingberg, D, Dallas Stars
- Alex Pietrangelo, D, St. Louis Blues
- P.K. Subban (C), D, Nashville Predators
- Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets
- Pekka Rinne, G, Nashville Predators
Pacific
- Brock Boeser, F, Vancouver Canucks
- Johnny Gaudreau, F, Calgary Flames
- Anze Kopitar, F, L.A. Kings
- Connor McDavid (C), F, Edmonton Oilers
- James Neal, F, Vegas Golden Knights
- Rickard Rakell, F, Anaheim Ducks
- Brent Burns, D, San Jose Sharks
- Drew Doughty, D, L.A. Kings
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Arizona Coyotes
- Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Vegas Golden Knights
- Jonathan Quick, G, L.A. Kings
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The 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Amalie Arena on Jan. 28. Coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with the 2018 NHL All-Star Skills Competition taking place on Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. on NBCSN.