Dougie Hamilton Reacts to First NHL All-Star Selection

Dougie Hamilton couldn't help but smile.
As first star of the game in the Carolina Hurricanes' come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 6, Dougie Hamilton sat down on the bench for his

"It hasn't really sunk in too much yet. I think it's pretty cool. It's something you watch as a kid," he said on Tuesday. "It will be a fun weekend."

Having just been announced as the Hurricanes' representative for All-Star Weekend in St. Louis, Hamilton was the featured guest on
episode 118 of CanesCast
on Monday afternoon.
Hamilton chats about how he found out about his first-ever selection to the event, what he's looking forward to most about the weekend, what skills competition event he might be best at and much more. Skip ahead to 12:09 in the podcast to hear from the Canes' All-Star.
Last year's Canes' All-Star, Sebastian Aho, voiced his support for Hamilton on Tuesday.
"He's having a really good year," Aho said. "Awesome player. Awesome guy off the ice, too. Well-deserved. He'll rep us well, for sure."

Head coach Rod Brind'Amour, who deploys Hamilton the most of any of his skaters (23:31 of average ice time), echoed Aho's sentiment.
"It's deserving," Brind'Amour said. "He's become an all-around defenseman now. He was always that offensive, dynamic defenseman - putting up points, can score, joins the rush really well - and I think he's had a much more committed effort on the other end of the game, and it's showing."

Want to send another Canes player to St. Louis this January? Beginning Jan. 1, fans can vote to send Teuvo Teravainen to All-Star Weekend as one of the
Last Men In
. Voting will close on Friday, Jan. 10 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Vote early, vote often
.