Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin, and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon were named the captains of the 2019 NHL All-Star Game on Thursday.
Fan voting was used to select the captains for each division.
McDavid will represent the Pacific Division for the third straight year. The 21-year-old sits fourth in league scoring with 52 points, seven back of Mikko Rantanen.
Matthews will make his third All-Star game appearance in as many seasons since entering the league. By being named the captain of the Atlantic Division, the 21-year-old earned a Schedule A bonus of $212,500, according to Cap Friendly. Matthews has recorded 19 goals and 34 points in 23 games this season.
Ovechkin's eighth NHL All-Star Game appearance will come this year. The game will also mark the third time in the past four years that he's been named captain of the Metropolitan Division. The sniper leads the NHL with 29 goals through 35 games.
Alex Ovechkin on being at least 10 years older than the three other all-star captains (McDavid, Matthews, MacKinnon).
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) December 27, 2018
“I’m kind of the old horse over there, but still getting recognized by the fans, so it’s very important.”
MacKinnon, playing in his third straight All-Star game, will lead the Central Division, ending Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban's two-year run as captain. The 23-year-old sits third in NHL scoring with 56 points.
The annual 3-on-3 tournament takes place Jan. 26 at the SAP Center in San Jose.
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