Jones was the first pick, fourth overall, of the Nashville Predators in the 2013 NHL Draft. He was acquired by Columbus in exchange for center Ryan Johansen on Jan. 6, 2016 and has registered 36-117-153 and 106 penalty minutes in 359 career games, including 21-69-90 and 52 penalty minutes in 160 games with the Blue Jackets. In 2016-17, he tallied 12-30-42 and 24 penalty minutes in 75 games, tying the club single season record for goals by a defenseman (Bryan Berard, 2005-06).
Previous Blue Jackets selected to participate in the NHL All-Star Game include: right wing Cam Atkinson (2017), goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (2017), left wing Brandon Saad (2016), right wing Nick Foligno (2015, team captain), center Ryan Johansen (2015, voted game's Most Valuable Player), Bobrovsky (2015, missed game due to injury), left wing Rick Nash (2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), left wing Ray Whitney (2003) and center Espen Knutsen (2002).
The 40 All-Stars selected by the NHL today join the first four players voted by fans to serve as division captains: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington (Metropolitan); Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay (Atlantic Division); P.K. Subban, Nashville (Central); and Connor McDavid, Edmonton (Pacific). 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. Each division's roster consists of six forwards, three defensemen and two goalies. The Atlantic Division will face the Metropolitan Division in one semifinal and the Central Division will face the Pacific Division in the other semifinal. The winners play in the championship game. Games will be 20 minutes in length and will be decided by a shootout if tied after the 20 minutes.
Live television coverage of the League's midseason showcase includes the 2018 NHL All-Star Skills Competition, which will be broadcast live by NBCSN in the U.S. on Saturday, January 27 at 7 p.m. ET. The 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game® will be televised live on NBC in the U.S. at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 28.
