Team Matthews used their first two selections on their Toronto Maple Leafs teammates to ensure they all play together at the NHL All-Star Game on Saturday.
Team Matthews used their first two selections on their Toronto Maple Leafs teammates to ensure they all play together at the NHL All-Star Game on Saturday.
If you are rooting for the Toronto Maple Leafs at this weekend's NHL All-Star Game, your cheering resources will not be divided.
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Toronto Maple Leafs star player Auston Matthews along with co-captain Morgan Rielly and recording artist Justin Bieber used their first two selections at the NHL All-Star Player Draft to select teammates William Nylander and Mitch Marner, in that order, to lead 'Team Matthews' as one of the four teams that will compete at the NHL All-Star Game on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Will Arnett, who is serving as a celebrity co-captain to 'Team McDavid', had an opportunity to break up any chance at an all-Maple Leafs team. The Toronto actor was wearing a Maple Leafs hat. Shortly after Nylander's selection, 'Team McDavid' selected Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak before 'Team Matthews" allowed Bieber to make the selection for Marner.
After all Maple Leafs were selected, Team Matthews selected Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger as their next pick. Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller was selected next, followed by New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg and Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat.
New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck was assigned to 'Team Matthews'. Under this year's format, the final four players were randomly assigned to the remaining four clubs, to avoid actual embarrassment to an individual being picked last.
The NHL adjusted their 3-on-3 four-team NHL All-Star Game format by reintroducing the player draft in 2024. The NHL last held a player draft for the NHL All-Star Game in 2015, but it was two teams instead of the current four-team format the league uses today.
Matthews and Nylander will be two of 12 players who will take part in the $1 million NHL All-Star Skills competition on Friday. The NHL All-Star Game goes on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.
FULL ROSTER FOR SATURDAY:
Team Hughes
Quinn Hughes, VAN
Elias Pettersson, VAN
Nikita Kucherov, TBL
Thatcher Demko, VAN
Kyle Connor, WGP
Brady Tkachuk, OTT
Jesper Bratt, NJD
Cam Talbot, LAK
Brock Boeser, VAN
J.T. Miller, VAN
Frank Vatrano, ANA
Team Matthews
Auston Matthews, TOR
Morgan Rielly, TOR
William Nylander, TOR
Mitch Marner, TOR
Jake Oettinger, DAL
Clayton Keller, ARI
Mathew Barzal, NYI
Igor Shesterkin, NYR
Filip Forsberg, NSH
Alex DeBrincat, DET
Vincent Trocheck, NYR
Team MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnon, COL
Cale Makar, COL
Sidney Crosby, PIT
Alexandar Georgiev, COL
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN
Sebastian Aho, CAR
Tom Wilson, WSH
Jeremy Swayman, BOS
Travis Konecny, PHI
Elias Lindholm, VAN
Oliver Bjorkstrand, SEA
Team McDavid
Connor McDavid, EDM
Leon Draisaitl, EDM
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG
David Pastrnak, BOS
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF
Robert Thomas, STL
Sam Reinhart, FLA
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA
Boone Jenner, CBJ
Nick Suzuki, MTL
Tomas Hertl, SJS
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