Auston Matthews, the NHL’s leading goal scorer, will represent the Toronto Maple Leafs during the upcoming All-Star weekend. However, he was also chosen as one of the four team captains for the event at the Maple Leafs home ice in Scotiabank Arena. The All-Star weekend will be from Feb. 1-3.
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The Traditional All-Star Format Has Been Replaced This Season
The traditional divisional format for the All-Star weekend has been replaced. Instead, each captain will now draft his team for the 3-on-3 tournament. Although the official announcement has not yet been made – it is expected later this month, insider sources have revealed that Matthews, along with Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, has agreed to lead two of the teams.
In addition to captaining a team, Matthews has signed up to be one of the 12 players participating in the revamped skills competition. For the winner of that competition, the reward will be high. The winner – who will be the player with the most points after eight events – will receive a $1 million prize.
For Matthews, who is a former Hart Trophy winner, the upcoming All-Star weekend in Toronto is particularly special. It’s his home ice and he’ll be one of the hosts (perhaps unofficially) of the event.
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Matthews Is Honored to Be Chosen to Represent His Maple Leafs
Matthews leads all NHL goal scorers this season. In fact, he’s quite far ahead. He recently scored his 30th goal of the season in overtime against the Anaheim Ducks. After being named to the All-Star team, he spoke about the honour of representing the Maple Leafs in his adopted hometown. He also emphasized the significance of the event being held in Toronto for the first time since 2000.
While Matthews’ spot is set, what now happens with William Nylander? That’s up to the fans. They will play a crucial role in determining the rest of the All-Star representatives. With the NHL selecting one player from each of the 32 teams, the last 12 spots are to be decided through an online vote.
For the Maple Leafs, that leaves – for now – Nylander on the outside looking in. Although Nylander is leading his team in scoring (and sits fifth overall in the NHL scoring race with 51 points), he was among the omissions.
It was a competitive selection process. Nylander deserves to be one of the All-Star representatives. Will fans help vote him into the show?
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