Fans will get the chance to vote for the starters at the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game starting Monday, Nov. 14.
The fan ballot for this year's game, to be held Jan. 29 in Ottawa, was released Thursday and includes 127 players -- 18 goalies, 36 defensemen and 73 forwards. Fans also will have the option of selecting write-in candidates.
There are at least three players from each team on the ballot for the 2012 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting, and the online interactive ballot will be available in eight languages -- English, French, German, Czech, Finnish, Russian, Slovak and Swedish.
Voting runs through Jan. 4, with the top six vote-getters by position -- three forwards, two defensemen and a goalie -- being guaranteed spots at the All-Star Game.
The defending Stanley Cup champion
Boston Bruins are tied with three other teams for placing the most players on the ballot, with six, led by Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender
Tim Thomas. Other Bruins on the ballot are defenseman
Zdeno Chara and forwards
Patrice Bergeron,
Nathan Horton,
David Krejci and
Milan Lucic.
The Eastern Conference-leading
Pittsburgh Penguins also placed six players on the ballot -- goaltender
Marc-Andre Fleury, defenseman
Kris Letang, and forwards
Sidney Crosby,
Evgeni Malkin,
James Neal and
Jordan Staal.
All three Staal brothers made the ballot -- Jordan, the
New York Rangers'
Marc Staal and
Carolina Hurricanes captain
Eric Staal.
The
Chicago Blackhawks and
Anaheim Ducks also have six players each on the ballot.
The surprising
Dallas Stars, who enter Thursday's games atop the League standings, have five players on the ballot -- goaltender
Kari Lehtonen, defensemen
Sheldon Souray, and forwards
Jamie Benn,
Loui Eriksson and
Mike Ribeiro.
The
Edmonton Oilers,
Philadelphia Flyers,
Los Angeles Kings,
Ottawa Senators,
San Jose Sharks,
Toronto Maple Leafs,
Vancouver Canucks and
Washington Capitals also have five players on the ballot.
Contact Adam Kimelman at
[email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK