The 59th NHL All-Star Game (also known as the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game) took place on January 29, 2012 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario.
This edition of the All-Star Game featured the "fantasy draft" format first seen in the previous 2011 NHL All-Star Game.
The participating players voted for team captains, selecting Daniel Alfredsson of the All-Star host Ottawa Senators and Zdeno Chara of the defending Stanley Cup champion, the Boston Bruins.
The event marked the first time the city of Ottawa hosted an NHL All-Star Game. Ottawa has hosted two NHL Entry Drafts, a Stanley Cup Final and the World Junior Championships all in the past five years.
It also marked the 20th anniversary of the Ottawa Senators joining the NHL.
It was the second All-Star Game that Canada has hosted in the past three years as the Montreal Canadiens hosted it in 2009. Winning goaltender Tim Thomas became the only goaltender in NHL history to win four consecutive All-Star games.Rosters
Roster[]
Fan Balloting[]
Voting for NHL all-star players started on November 14, 2011. Online voting required fans to register with the NHL.com web site with votes limited to 30 votes per "platform", i.e. desktop computer, web-enabled mobile devices and SMS text.
Fans were presented a list of 127 players, sub-divided into Forwards, Defence and Goaltending.
Three forwards, two defence and one goaltender could be selected from the League-wide list of players. The selection of League-wide list of players was done in 2011, which used the "fantasy team" format.
After voting closed, Erik Karlsson was the leading vote-getter with 939,951. Senators fans voted in force, electing not only Karlsson but all three forwards as well (Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek) to the starting lineup.
The only skater not coming from the hometown Senators was Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf beat out Senators defenceman Sergei Gonchar by only 11,305 votes. Reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas was elected as the fan-voted goaltender.
| # | Name | Pos. | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Daniel Alfredsson | RW | Ottawa Senators | 897,055 |
| 19 | Jason Spezza | C | Ottawa Senators | 817,483 |
| 9 | Milan Michalek | LW | Ottawa Senators | 743,977 |
| 65 | Erik Karlsson | D | Ottawa Senators | 939,951 |
| 3 | Dion Phaneuf | D | Toronto Maple Leafs | 614,933 |
| 30 | Tim Thomas | G | Boston Bruins | 626,540 |
Draft[]
After naming the remaining All-Stars, the participating players voted for team captains, selecting Daniel Alfredsson of the hosting Ottawa Senators and Zdeno Chara of the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Alfredsson's team would wear white while Team Chara would wear blue.
The NHL named the coaches: head coach Claude Julien and assistants Doug Houda, Doug Jarvis & Geoff Ward of the Boston Bruins for Team Chara; and John Tortorella of the New York Rangers & Todd McLellan of the San Jose Sharks as co-coaches for Team Alfredsson.
The draft of the players took place on January 26, 2012, from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm, Eastern time. It was held at the Théâtre du Casino du Lac-Leamy, in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. Team Chara won the puck flip and selected first.
Rookies[]
| Nat. | Player | Team | Pos. | Num. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sean Couturier | Philadelphia Flyers | C | 14 |
|
Justin Faulk | Carolina Hurricanes | D | 28 |
| Template:Country data SWE | Carl Hagelin | New York Rangers | LW | 62 |
|
|
Nick Johnson | Minnesota Wild | RW/LW | 25 |
|
|
Matt Read | Philadelphia Flyers | RW | 24 |
|
|
Craig Smith | Nashville Predators | C | 15 |
| Nat. | Player | Team | Pos. | Num. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Luke Adam | Buffalo Sabres | C | 72 |
| Template:Country data SWI | Raphael Diaz | Montreal Canadiens | D | 61 |
|
|
Colin Greening | Ottawa Senators | LW | 14 |
|
|
Cody Hodgson | Vancouver Canucks | C | 9 |
|
|
Ryan Johansen | Columbus Blue Jackets | C | 19 |
| Template:Country data SWE | Gabriel Landeskog | Colorado Avalanche | LW | 92 |
Withdrawn[]
Prior to the draft several players withdrew due to injury or personal reasons:
| Nat. | Name | Team | Pos. | Reason and replacement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Country data FIN | Mikko Koivu | Minnesota Wild | C | Left shoulder injury, replaced by Jordan Eberle | |
| Template:Country data RUS | Alex Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | LW | Voluntary withdrawal because of suspension (although the All- Star Game does not count as a game with respect to suspensions), replaced by James Neal | |
|
|
Jonathan Toews | Chicago Blackhawks | C | Hand injury, replaced by Scott Hartnell | |
|
|
Dustin Byfuglien | Winnipeg Jets | D | Knee injury, replaced by Kris Letang | |
|
|
Adam Henrique (rookie) | New Jersey Devils | C | Groin injury, replaced by Carl Hagelin on rookie roster | |
|
|
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (rookie) | Edmonton Oilers | C | Left shoulder injury, replaced by Nick Johnson on rookie roster | |
| Template:Country data SWE | Adam Larsson (rookie) | New Jersey Devils | D | Wrist injury, replaced by Raphael Diaz on rookie roster | |
Game Summary[]
The game was played from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. local time. It was broadcast nationally in Canada on CBC and in the United States on the NBC Sports Network.
Canadian singer Drake performed during the second intermission.
| Team Alfredsson | 9 – 12 (3-3, 3-3, 3-6) |
Team Chara | Scotiabank Place (20,510) Ottawa, Ontario | |
| First period | ||||
| 4:34 Gaborik (Datsyuk) | Referees: | |||
| 5:38 Malkin (Iginla) | Eric Furlatt | |||
| 10:09 Gaborik (2) (Hossa, Suter) | Brad Kovachik | |||
| Spezza (Girardi, Michalek) 10:36 | Linesmen: | |||
| H. Sedin (Hartnell, Letang) 12:51 | Tim Peel | |||
| Tavares (Pominville, Yandle) 13:49 | Derek Amell | |||
| Second period | MVP: Marian Gaborik | |||
| 1:23 Gaborik (3) (Hossa, Datsyuk) | ||||
| 3:33 Lupul (Kessel) | ||||
| Pominville (Neal, Stamkos) 7:17 | ||||
| Alfredsson 14:33 | ||||
| Alfredsson (2) (D. Sedin, H. Sedin) 16:04 | ||||
| 18:24 Kane (Eberle) | ||||
| Third period | ||||
| 4:12 Kessel (Campbell) | ||||
| Michalek (Tavares, Spezza) 5:21 | ||||
| 7:45 Iginla (Malkin, Perry) | ||||
| Giroux (Hartnell, Couture) 9:40 | ||||
| 12:04 Hossa (Datsyuk) | ||||
| 12:20 Chara (GWG) (Gaborik) | ||||
| 13:26 Perry (Iginla, Wideman) | ||||
| D. Sedin (H. Sedin, Alfredsson) 14:20 | ||||
| 15:33 Lupul (2) (Seguin, Kessel) |
W – Tim Thomas L – Brian Elliott
- Missed Penalty Shot: Stamkos, TAS, 16:33 first.
- Shots on Goal:
- Team Alfredsson: 14-15-21-50.
- Team Chara: 12-13-19-44.
SuperSkills Competition[]
Fastest Skater[]
In this event, pairs of skaters raced each other simultaneously on parallel courses on the rink.
Each race was worth one point for their winning racer's team, and the fastest two skaters then had a final race for another point.
| Heat | Team Alfredsson | Time (sec) | Time (sec) | Team Chara |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kris Letang | 14.501 | 14.826 | Brian Campbell |
| 2 | Jonathan Quick | 16.939 | 17.514 | Jimmy Howard |
| 3 | Carl Hagelin | 12.993 | 12.963 | Colin Greening |
| 4 | Keith Yandle | 13.731 | 13.203 | Phil Kessel |
| 5 | Erik Karlsson | 13.021 | 13.343 | Marian Hossa |
| Final | Hagelin | 13.218 | 13.303 | Greening |
| Event score: 4–2 Team Alfredsson Overall score: 4–2 Team Alfredsson | ||||
Breakaway Challenge[]
In this competition, competitors skated with the puck and attempted to score on the opposing team's goalie. The winner was also judged on their presentation. The winner was determined by SMS messages sent to the NHL.
The winner, Patrick Kane (donned a Superman cape and Clark Kent-style glasses) skated in and dove to the ice, passed the puck from his left hand to his stick held in his right hand and scored.
Runner-up Corey Perry threw away his stick and gloves and removed a hidden mini-stick from his equipment. He then skated in and deked out the goaltender with his stick. Kane (in his second attempt as Superman) shot a puck designed to explode into pieces.
| Team Alfredsson | Vote % | Vote % | Team Chara |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Couturier | 9% | 1% | Ryan Johansen |
| John Tavares | 8% | 47% | Patrick Kane |
| Logan Couture | 5% | 29% | Corey Perry |
| Event score: 1–0 Team Chara Overall score: 4–3 Team Alfredsson | |||
Accuracy Shooting[]
In this event, competitors were positioned in front of the net and were passed the puck from two players situated behind the goal line.
The players had to hit targets at the four corners of the net in the fastest time.
| Heat | Team Alfredsson | Time (sec) | Time (sec) | Team Chara |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Read | 14.011 | 20.929 | Cody Hodgson |
| 2 | Jason Spezza | 18.639 | 30.092 | Tyler Seguin |
| 3 | Steven Stamkos | 44.684 | 13.583 | Jamie Benn |
| 4 | Daniel Sedin | 21.459 | 15.846 | [Marian Hossa]] |
| Final | Read | 16.361 | 10.204 | Benn |
| Event score: 3–2 Team Chara Overall score: 6–6 | ||||
Challenge Relay[]
In this competition, teams were selected from each side. Each player on the team had one skill to complete before the next player could start. The goal was to complete the relay in the fastest time.
| Heat | Team Alfredsson | Time (min) | Time (min) | Team Chara |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Group 1 Nick Johnson (One-timer passer) Shea Weber (One-timer RH) Kris Letang (One-timer RH) Steven Stamkos (One-timer RH) Henrik Sedin (Passing accuracy) Milan Michalek (Puck control) Logan Couture (Stick handling) James Neal (Target shooter) |
2:28 | 2:45 | Group 1 Ryan Suter (One-timer passer) Dennis Wideman (One-timer RH) Jarome Iginla (One-timer RH) Joffrey Lupul (One-timer RH) Patrick Kane (Passing accuracy) Pavel Datsyuk (Puck control) Gabriel Landeskog (Stick handling) Marian Gaborik (Target shooter) |
| 2 | Group 2 Alexander Edler (One-timer passer) Keith Yandle (One-timer LH) Scott Hartnell (One-timer LH) John Tavares (One-timer LH) Daniel Sedin (Passing accuracy) Craig Smith (Puck control) Claude Giroux (Stick handling) Jason Pominville (Target shooter) |
2:08 | 2:14 | Group 2 Jordan Eberle (One-timer passer) Dion Phaneuf (One-timer LH) Zdeno Chara (One-timer LH) Jamie Benn (One-timer LH) Kimmo Timonen (Passing accuracy) Raphael Diaz (Puck control) Evgeni Malkin (Stick handling) Phil Kessel (Target shooter) |
| Event score: 3–0 Team Alfredsson Overall score: 9–6 Team Alfredsson | ||||
Hardest Shot[]
In this competition, players skated in from the blue line, and slapped a puck as fast as possible on the net.
| Heat | Team Alfredsson | Speed (mph) | Speed (mph) | Team Chara |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Faulk | 95.9 | 98.3 | Luke Adam |
| 2 | Daniel Alfredsson | 101.3 | 95.3 | Dennis Wideman |
| 3 | Jason Spezza | 100.5 | 97.9 | Dion Phaneuf |
| 4 | Shea Weber | 104.9 | 108.8* | Zdeno Chara |
| Final | Weber | 106.0 | 107.0 | Chara |
| Event score: 3–2 Team Chara Overall score: 11–9 Team Alfredsson | ||||
| * denotes record | ||||
Elimination Shootout[]
In this competition, players attempted to score on the opposing team's goalie. Players who scored earned a point for their team for each goal they scored. Players were eliminated from the competition if they failed to score.
| Team Alfredsson | Result | Result | Team Chara |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | |||
| Carl Hagelin | Save | Save | Colin Greening |
| Steven Stamkos | Goal | Save | Pavel Datsyuk |
| John Tavares | Goal | Goal | Evgeni Malkin |
| Jason Spezza | Goal | Save | Corey Perry |
| Claude Giroux | Save | Save | Tyler Seguin |
| Daniel Alfredsson | Goal | Save | Marian Gaborik |
| James Neal | Save | Save | Patrick Kane |
| Milan Michalek | Save | Goal | Jarome Iginla |
| Jason Pominville | Goal | Save | Jamie Benn |
| Kris Letang | Goal | Save | Joffrey Lupul |
| Erik Karlsson | Save | Goal | Kimmo Timonen |
| Daniel Sedin | Save | Save | Ryan Suter |
| Round 2 | |||
| Steven Stamkos | Goal | Save | Evgeni Malkin |
| John Tavares | Goal | Save | Jarome Iginla |
| Jason Spezza | Save | Save | Kimmo Timonen |
| Daniel Alfredsson | Save | ||
| Jason Pominville | Goal | ||
| Kris Letang | Save | ||
| Round 3 | |||
| Steven Stamkos | Goal | ||
| John Tavares | Save | ||
| Jason Pominville | Save | ||
| Event score: 10–3 Team Alfredsson Final overall score: 21–12 Team Alfredsson | |||
- italics = Heat winner
- bold = Event winner
- each heat and event winner earns a point for their team
All-Star Weekend[]
In conjunction with the Game and the Skills Competition, events were held from January 26 through January 29. The NHL held a "Fan Fair" at the Ottawa Convention Centre.
The Fan Fair had displays of the NHL's trophies, autograph signings, interactive displays and presentations and broadcasts by the NHL's SiriusXM and NHL Network partners. Team and All-Star Game merchandise and memorabilia was also for sale.
Events were held on the Rideau Canal, at Confederation Park and at the Byward Market. Ottawa's annual Winterlude winter carnival opened its site at Confederation Park one week early for the game weekend.
Activities include:
- NHL Trophy Procession on the Rideau Canal Skateway
- Ice Sculptures at Confederation Park
- Nightly DJs at Confederation Park
- Energizer Night Skate at NHL All-Star on the Rideau Canal Skateway
- All-Star Concert in The Cabin at The Great Canadian Cabin nightclub in the Byward Market
- Canadian Tire NHL Junior Skills National Championship on the Rideau Canal Skateway
Weather conditions forced the closure of the Rideau Canal to public skating during the weekend. The trophy procession and junior skills competition were able to be held on the canal according to schedule. The Energizer Night Skate was moved to the Rink of Dreams ice rink nearby.
Interest in the four-day festivities broke records across the board in terms of North American television ratings and digital consumption, according to figures released by the NHL.
Across North America, 17.7 million viewers tuned into all or part of NHL All-Star Weekend events, including the Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Fantasy Player Draft held at the Hilton Lac Leamy. Those events were televised on CBC, TSN and RDS in Canada, and by the NBC Sports Network in the United States.
In Canada, CBC recorded its highest viewership for the NHL All-Star Game and skills competition since the current system of audience measurement was instituted in 1989–90.
In all, 10.2 million viewers tuned into at least some part of CBC's coverage, representing 30% of the Canadian population. Meanwhile, the player draft attracted 1.34 million viewers on TSN and another 254,000 on RDS. A total of 3.7 million unique viewers saw at least part of the telecast.