Capitals’ Tom Wilson is named to the NHL All-Star Game
For the second time in three years, Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson is headed to the NHL All-Star Game.
In 2022, Wilson was named as a replacement for Washington captain Alex Ovechkin when Ovechkin tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the event. This time around, Wilson was included among the initial 32 all-stars, one from each team, that the NHL announced Thursday night. A fan vote will take place to add 12 more players to the rosters later this month.
Wilson’s 11 goals are tied for second on the Capitals, and he’s fourth on the team in total points with 19 in 36 games. In November, Wilson scored his first career hat trick — in his 700th career game. As expected, Wilson also leads the Capitals in penalty minutes with 70, including four fighting majors.
This year’s all-star festivities will take place in Wilson’s hometown of Toronto during the first weekend of February.
After last year’s event in Sunrise, Fla., was met with mixed reviews, the league has reintroduced a draft to form the teams and made significant changes to the skills competition. Captains will draft their teams for the weekend Feb. 1, and the Feb. 2 skills competition will include 12 players competing in eight events to earn a $1 million prize. The weekend will conclude with the now-traditional three-on-three games Feb. 3.
