Fans elect division captains for 2016 All-Star Game

NEW YORK – Forwards Jaromir Jagr of the Florida Panthers, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and John Scott of the Arizona Coyotes are the first four players to earn spots in the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Nashville, courtesy of fan balloting in the 2016 NHL All-Star Fan Vote.

From Dec. 1 through Jan. 1, fans around the world were able to cast their votes at NHL.com/Vote and via a mobile ballot for one player from each of the four divisions, with the top vote-getter for each division earning an All-Star berth as division captain. Jagr finished first among all players in the Atlantic Division, while Kane topped the Central, Ovechkin led the Metropolitan and Scott paced the Pacific.

Fans were permitted to select as few as one player and a maximum of four players per ballot, without regard to position. The maximum number of ballots cast per day for each user was 10.

As part of the new format for the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game, the All-Stars will take part in a three-game tournament, played in a 3-on-3 format, and featuring four teams representing each NHL division.

The remaining 40 players who will comprise the four All-Star rosters – consisting of six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders per team – will be determined by the National Hockey League Hockey Operations Department and announced on Wednesday, Jan. 6.

The head coach of the team with the highest points percentage (points earned divided by total possible points) in each of the four divisions through games of Saturday, Jan. 9 – the halfway point of the regular season – will guide the respective All-Star rosters.

The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star celebration will mark the first time Nashville has hosted the NHL All-Star festivities, which will take place at Bridgestone Arena. Live television coverage of the League’s midseason showcase during the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition and 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game will be broadcast by NBCSN in the U.S. and Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition will begin at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 30, and the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game will start at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT on Sunday, Jan. 31.