As the Dallas Stars lone All-Star representative, Jake Oettinger will put on the pads for Team Matthews.

Earlier this month, Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger got the news he had been selected as an All-Star for the first time. Today, he found out which All-Star team he would be suiting up for.

The All-Star draft returned to the festivities this year, allowing four NHL stars to serve as captains and choose players for their teams. The 25-year-old Oettinger will don the pads for the squad captained by Auston Matthews of the host Toronto Maple Leafs.

After his name was announced, Oettinger received a hug from Justin Bieber, who will serve as an honorary captain for Team Matthews.

Joining Oettinger on the squad are assistant captain Morgan Reilly, William Nylander and Mitch Marner (Maple Leafs), Clayton Keller (Coyotes), Mathew Barzal (Islanders), Igor Shesterkin and Vincent Trocheck (Rangers), Filip Forsberg (Predators), and Alex DeBrincat (Red Wings).

The NHL revealed its initial list of 32 All-Stars (one per team) on January 4. Fans were given the opportunity to vote for 12 additional players (eight skaters and four goalies) on NHL.com. Those votes were announced January 13. The other three teams competing with Team Matthews are Team McDavid, Team McKinnon and Team Hughes.

Oettinger's season has been a mixture of ups and downs. At the time of his selection, he was 11-7-2 with a .901 save percentage and a 2.93 goals against average. He recently returned from a lower-body injury and has also battled ankle and groin injuries over the past year.

But numbers don't always tell the whole story. As Stars coach Pete DeBoer pointed out after the selections were announced, Oettinger's body of work shows he is deserving of the honor. After being called up from the AHL's Texas Stars during the 2021-22 season, Oettinger took over as the No. 1 goalie and got the Stars to the playoffs, where they lost to top-seeded Calgary in a Game 7.

Oettinger led the Stars to Game 6 of the Western Conference Final last season despite a 3.06 GAA and .895 SP.

Oettinger's selection to All-Star Weekend is his first. It's also a reminder that all good things come to those who persevere.

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