Toronto forward Phil Kessel is getting the type of punches on his All-Star ballot befitting a Hart Trophy candidate.

Kessel, who leads the NHL with 16 goals and 31 points, has taken the overall lead in the 2012 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting with 258,446 votes after two weeks of voting. He was second among forwards and third overall last week in the voting for the 2012 Tim Horton's NHL All-Star Game, which takes place Jan. 29 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

NEW YORK – Scotiabank, the official bank of the NHL, will serve as the title sponsor of NHL Fan Fair™, the official fan festival for the 2012 NHL® All-Star Weekend, January 26-28, at the Ottawa Convention Centre in downtown Ottawa.Starting today, fans will be able to purchase tickets to the festival online and at various locations throughout Ottawa, including the box office at Scotiabank Place.

As part of Scotiabank's commitment to serving hockey fans of all ages, the 2012 Scotiabank NHL Fan Fair™ will offer three days of family-friendly interactive games and attractions, special appearances, trophy and memorabilia displays, live TV and radio broadcasts, music, food and dozens of other dynamic activities.

Fans of the Ottawa Senators want to see their hometown stars in the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game, and they are proving it early in the ASG voting process.

Three members of the Senators, who are one point shy of the top eight in the Eastern Conference in a season most pundits pegged them to struggle, are among the top four vote-getters as the first official polling numbers were announced Tuesday afternoon. If the voting ended now for the game, which will be played Jan. 29 at Ottawa's Scotiabank Place, they would all be in the starting lineup.

Defenseman Erik Karlsson, 21, is tied for the League lead in points at his position with 18, and he leads all ASG vote-getters with 147,468 votes. Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson is first among forwards and second overall with 131,774, while Jason Spezza is third among forwards and fourth overall at 117,899 votes.

Recruitment Update -- Monday, November 21, 2011

Thank you for your interest in joining the 2012 NHL All-Star Volunteer Team! 

We have had a FANtastic response from the local volunteer community and expect to be fully staffed shortly.  We are currently processing the applications we received at the Information Meeting and expect to be mailing out confirmation letters by the second week of January.

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.

NEW YORK -- With impressive starts this season, the Dallas Stars and the Pittsburgh Penguins -- leaders of the  Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively - hold a combined 11 spots on the ballot in the 2012 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting™. The ballot includes first-time career appearances from Stars forwards Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson and Penguins forwards James Neal and Jordan Staal and defenseman Kris Letang.  Joining their teammates are ballot veterans Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins and Kari Lehtonen, Mike Ribeiro and Sheldon Souray of the Stars.

Among the total 127 players on the ballot, Philadelphia Flyers forward Jaromir Jagr makes his first appearance to the fan voting platform since his campaign for the 2008 NHL All-Star festivities; the Ottawa Senators, the first-time hosts of the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend, have five representatives; and the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Flyers and Penguins each have six players vying to be named first NHL All-Stars in the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL® All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 29. Polls open to hockey fans worldwide Nov. 14 online at NHL.com/vote and via mobile devices.

Among the few features in the 2012 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting are interactive online ballots in eight different languages, the most in NHL All-Star Fan Balloting history.  Fans around the world will be able to vote online at NHL.com/vote in English, French, German, Czech, Finnish, Russian, Slovak and Swedish.  Voting concludes Jan. 4, with the top six vote-getters by position - three forwards, two defensemen and goalie – set to take part in the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game®.

NEW YORK – Tim Hortons, one of North America's largest quick-service restaurant chains, has secured title sponsorship of this season's National Hockey League All-Star Game -- deepening the company's multi-year partnership as the Official Quick Service Coffee, Donut and Breakfast Restaurant of the NHL® in Canada.  Moving forward, this year's event will be known as the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL® All-Star Game.

The 2012 Tim Hortons NHL® All-Star Game will take place on Jan. 29 at Scotiabank Place, home of the Ottawa Senators, during the 2012 NHL All-Star weekend. This will mark the first time Ottawa has hosted the NHL All-Star weekend.

OTTAWA -- After successfully hosting two drafts, a Stanley Cup Final and the World Junior Championships in the past five years, the city of Ottawa is going to get a crack at its first All-Star Game in 2012.
 
The Ottawa Senators will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their return to the League by hosting the 2012 NHL All-Star Game at Scotiabank Place, the League and team announced Wednesday. The mid-season showcase weekend will be Jan. 28 and 29.
 
"We know Ottawa can do a terrific job of hosting hockey events," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We know this great venue and this city are more than well-equipped to handle this marquee event."