The NHL has announced that Alex Ovechkin has been named to its 2013 All-Star team.
Check that -- teams.
Ovechkin, the Hart Trophy winner as league MVP, received enough votes from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association to earn the right wing spot on the first team...and enough votes to earn the left wing spot on the second team.
The news, as you’d expect, has drawn some criticism:
Larry Brooks, New York PostWell, at least nobody voted for Lundqvist to be all star center. This Ovechkin thing is a fiasco for all involved, voters and NHL...
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) July 3, 2013
Craig Custance, ESPN
To me, it would make sense to ditch the LW and RW designations for All-Star voting. Just go with a center and two wings.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) July 3, 2013
Stephen Whyno, Canadian Press
I’m a proud member of @ThePHWA. We all make mistakes. This one on Ovechkin was a major one.
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) July 3, 2013
Nick Cotsonika, Yahoo!
The Ovechkin all-star vote is an embarrassment to the PHWA. No excuses. Period.
— Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) July 3, 2013
This development overshadowed the fact other players were awarded for their achievements this season (and no, not every spot went to Ovechkin).
Here are the All-Star Teams:
First Team
G: Sergei Bobrovsky
D: P.K. Subban
D: Ryan Suter
RW: Alex Ovechkin
C: Sidney Crosby
LW: Chris Kunitz
Second Team
G: Henrik Lundqvist
D: Kris Letang
D: Francois Beauchemin
RW: Martin St. Louis
C: Jonathan Toews
LW: Alex Ovechkin
In case you’re curious, the PHWA did send out an email to members specifying that Ovechkin had been playing right wing this season.
So, on the premise left wing votes were erroneous, it’s Edmonton’s Taylor Hall getting the shaft. He finished third among all left wingers in voting, with 205 -- 12 fewer than Ovechkin.