NEW YORK - The National Hockey League today announced the selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the city of Tampa as hosts of the 2018 NHL® All-Star. The League's mid-season showcase will take place at AMALIE Arena on Saturday, January 27 and Sunday, January 28 and will include the NHL All-Star Skills Competition™ and the NHL® All-Star Game.

BROSSARD, Quebec -- Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin might return for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Rangers at Bell Centre on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; USA, CBC, TVA Sports, MSG).

Emelin skated with Montreal's extra players Wednesday. It was the first time he has skated with teammates since he sustained a lower-body injury on April 5.

NEW YORK - The National Hockey League (NHL®) and NHL Original Productions will take fans inside the 2017 Honda NHL® All-Star Weekend with NHL ALL-STAR ALL ACCESS™ presented by HONDA. The 30-minute, behind the scenes look into the mid-season festivities in Los Angeles will premiere on Monday, Feb. 6 on NBCSN at 11:30 p.m. ET in the U.S. and on Sportsnet and Sportsnet NOW at 11 p.m. ET in Canada.   

NHL ALL-STAR ALL ACCESS™ will bring viewers inside the star-packed weekend, including the unveiling of the 100 Greatest NHL Players at THE NHL100™ presented by GEICO event, All-Star Media Day, the NHL All-Star Celebrity Shootout™ headlined by music superstar Justin Bieber and marquee current NHL players Patrick Kane and Connor McDavid , the 2017 Coors Light NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the Metropolitan Division's 4-3 win in the 2017 Honda NHL® All-Star Game.

You've heard of the emergency backup goalie. Courtney Daniels was the emergency backup singer.

LOS ANGELES -- The significance of the moment was not lost on Cam Atkinson.

Here he was skating out for introductions at the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Staples Center on Sunday. To his left stretched most of the 100 Greatest NHL Players presented by Molson Canadian, standing resplendent in the jerseys of their former teams.

Slowly, he worked his way down the line, bumping fists and shaking hands with the likes of Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch and Joe Sakic. Finally, he took his place -- his rightful place -- among the all-stars and soaked it in.

LOS ANGELES -- The Great One was The Smiling One.

All afternoon, the cameras kept catching Wayne Gretzky smiling and laughing behind the bench in his coach-for-a-day role in the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Staples Center on Sunday.

LOS ANGELES -- In no particular order, here are 10 unforgettable memories, among more than I can count, of the2017 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend. My focus primarily was on the 100 Greatest NHL Players presented by Molson Canadian, the introduction of a group of 67 icons who in many ways had defined the League in its second half-century from 1967 to 2017.

LOS ANGELES -- It was a 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend filled with history, legends, celebrities and so many skillful plays by the stars of today.

Here are the top 10 moments, in chronological order, of a weekend in Los Angeles that will never be forgotten:

LOS ANGELES -- Participating in his first NHL All-Star game, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid loved the show he helped put on.

"I really, really like the format," said McDavid, who had one goal in the Pacific Division's 4-3 loss against the Metropolitan Division in the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game 3-on-3 tournament's final game at Staples Center on Sunday. "It might be a little bit gimmicky at the start when everyone was going a little bit lighter but as the thing goes on, everyone gets a little more intense and heated and then you really start to see some good hockey."