Chicago Blackhawks star forward Patrick Kane will be the Central Division All-Star captain, the league announced Saturday.
Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin (Metropolitan), Florida Panthers Jaromir Jagr (Atlantic) and Arizona Coyotes John Scott (Pacific) will represent the other divisions. All four players were the top fan vote-getters for each division to earn All-Star captain honors.
Kane, 26, leads the league with 56 points and 33 assists. His 23 goals rank him second behind Stars‘ captain Jamie Benn (24).
Last year, five Blackhawks were named to the All-Star Game, including Jonathan Toews, who leads the league with four overtime goals this season; Corey Crawford; and defenseman Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
The 2016 NHL All-Star Game will be played Jan. 31 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
This year’s All-Star Game format will feature a new 3-on-3 format with four teams representing each division. There will be a 20-minute mini game with two 10-minute halves, featuring the Central team against the Pacific team while the Metropolitan team takes on the Atlantic team. The winners of those games will compete in the championship game, with the winner taking home $1 million prize.
Each roster will feature six forwards, three defenseman and two goaltenders. The 10 remaining players for each team will be announced by the league Wednesday.