Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Everywhere Man: Ovechkin makes NHL’s first- and second-All Star Teams

Alex Ovechkin

MONTREAL - JANUARY 24: Eastern Conference All-Star Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals competes in the “Scotiabank NHL Fan Fav Breakaway Challenge” during the Honda NHL Superskills competition as part of the 2009 NHL All-Star weekend on January 24, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Ovechkin

Richard Wolowicz

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 Post

Well, 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.