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4 Blackhawks named to 2017 NHL All-Star Game

Chicago Blackhawks forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, goaltender Corey Crawford and defenseman Duncan Keith were named to the 2017 NHL All-Star Game Central Division roster Tuesday.

The event is Sunday, Jan. 29 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The game will be broadcast at 2:30 p.m. CT on NBC, making it the first network-television broadcast of the event since 2004.

For the second straight year, the event will be a 3-on-3 tournament of three 20-minute games, featuring four teams of 11 players representing each division with the winning team taking home $1 million. Only one team in each division is allowed two forwards. Last season, the Pacific Division All-Stars defeated the Atlantic Division All-Stars in the final, 1-0.

Each team had one player voted into the division by fans. The other All-Stars were selected by the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department. Each team has six forwards, three defenseman and two goaltenders.

It’s the sixth overall All-Star nod for Kane and Toews.

Kane’s 44 points rank third in the league only to Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. The reigning Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner is also second in the league in assists to McDavid (34). Toews has seven goals and 13 assists in 34 games. He missed nine games from Nov. 23 to Dec. 13 with a nagging back injury. It’s the second straight All-Star nod for Kane and Toews, however, the Chicago captain was unable to play due to an illness in 2015.

Crawford joins Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk as Central netminders. The two-time All-Star is 15-8-3 with 2.33 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 26 games this season.

Keith, a four-time All-Star, ranks fourth in scoring by NHL defenseman with 29 points. His 28 assists are second in the league only to Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman (30).

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