It doesn’t come with the same pomp and circumstance that the All-Star Teams get during the middle of the season, but the NHL announces their top two All-Star Teams at the end of the NHL awards. These teams are decided by vote of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and how their regular seasons shook out. The teams break down just how you figured they might given how the awards went in Las Vegas. Spots on the team are broken down by position: One goalie, two defensemen, a left wing, a right wing, and a center.
2010-2011 NHL All-Star First Team
Goalie: Tim Thomas - Boston Bruins
Defensemen: Nicklas Lidstrom - Detroit Red Wings, Shea Weber - Nashville Predators
Forwards: Daniel Sedin - Vancouver Canucks, Henrik Sedin - Vancouver Canucks, Corey Perry - Anaheim Ducks
No shocks here as the first team has the Vezina, Norris, and Hart Trophy winners as well as two of the three Hart Trophy finalists and another Norris Trophy finalist as well. The second team is similarly intimidating.
2010-2011 NHL All-Star Second Team
Goalie: Pekka Rinne - Nashville Predators
Defensemen: Zdeno Chara - Boston Bruins, Lubomir Visnovsky - Anaheim Ducks
Forwards: Alex Ovechkin - Washington Capitals, Steve Stamkos - Tampa Bay Lightning, Martin St. Louis - Tampa Bay Lightning
It’s fun to have a team where Alex Ovechkin, Martin St. Louis, and Steven Stamkos can be your second option. Getting Slovakian countrymen Chara and Visnovsky together on the blue line provides the contrast in styles with Chara being a punishing defender and Visnovsky a great offense generator. Rinne getting the nod over Luongo in goal is good for water cooler discussion, but given how the voting broke down in their race for the Vezina it’s not too surprising.
If nothing else, these teams are good for discussion purposes and to see where the media saw everyone ranked out. After all, having a second team that features the likes of Chara, Stamkos, and Ovechkin while the first team has Thomas, Lidstrom, and the Sedins it shows the league is a bit loaded up. Just think of all the stars that didn’t make the cut. Pretty impressive.