HockeyKessel hits rock bottom in Raleigh

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RALEIGH, N.C. - Phil Kessel was the last man standing. Check that, sitting.

The Toronto Maple Leafs forward had the dubious distinction of being the final selection in the first NHL all-star game fantasy draft. But Kessel wasn't bothered by the development at the Raleigh Convention Center on Friday evening.

"I didn't really care," Kessel said afterwards. "It's an honour to be here. When I was a kid it was a dream to be here."

Kessel and Colorado Avalanche centre Paul Stastny were the final two players left in the draft. Eric Staal and his assistant captains, Ryan Kesler and Mike Green, decided to go with Stastny. In announcing his decision, Staal cracked that Toronto wasn't much of a hockey market, so "we'll take Stastny. As a result Nicklas Lidstrom's team was stuck with the 19-goal scorer from the Maple Leafs.

"We were laughing," said Kessel, when asked what he and Stastny were talking about when the draft was down to them. "It doesn't matter. This is an all-star game and we're just happy to be here."

For being red faced, however, Kessel was awarded a Honda hybrid car as well as $20,000 US from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund and NHL Foundation to donate to the grassroots hockey program of Kessel's choice.

Kessel confirmed that he received a few text messages from his Toronto teammates, chiding him over being selected last. Lidstrom remarked that Kessel could possibly win another car as the MVP of the game on Sunday.

At the other end of the spectrum, Team Staal took his teammate and hometown favourite, Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward, with the first pick. This manoeuvre allowed Lidstrom and his assistants, Patrick Kane and Martin St. Louis to draft the game's top goal scorer in Steven Stamkos.

"We discussed it with Pat and Marty," Lidstrom said. "I liked it and Marty really liked it."
St. Louis plays with Stamkos on the same line with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the pair has been a dynamic duo for the past two seasons. Another terrific twosome, however, were split up in Vancouver Canucks Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The twins were selected back-to-back. First, Daniel went to Team Staal, followed by Henrik to Team Lidstrom.

"I think it's good that they have to play against one another and face each other," Lidstrom said.

Henrik and Daniel both stated that they expected to be split up for this game and they expect to face each other in some line matching at the RBC Center on Sunday. The two have never faced each other in a game.

But even though Daniel was taken before Henrik, the reigning NHL Hart Trophy winner joked that he was best. ""I won the first race," Henrik said, in reference to he was born before Daniel.

Forsberg fever

The Sedin twins were raised in the same Swedish hometown of Peter Forsberg and idolized him when he first played for Modo in Sweden and later in the NHL. The twins are excited to see Forsberg attempting a comeback with the Avalanche at age 37.

But while Henrik was surprised at the news Forsberg decided to start training in Denver again with the Avalanche, Daniel stated there were rumours back home.

"If he feels good enough and his foot feels good enough, he'll be fine," Daniel said.

"He loves hockey. He doesn't have a family and he doesn't have kids. This is what he loves to do. It shows how much he loves hockey by trying to play again.

The Sedins were impressed with the level of play Forsberg exhibited at the Olympics in Vancouver a year ago and expect him to contribute to Colorado's cause down the stretch if his troublesome foot allows him to make a comeback.

"You figure he must be feeling pretty good about his foot and everything else. It's exciting," Henrik said.

"When he shows up he is always going to give it his best. He may not be his best right now, but he's still good enough to play in this league.

Blackhawks reunion

Team Lidstrom assistant captain Kane kept his close friend and teammate, Jonathan Toews, wondering well into the draft when the latter would be selected. But finally the two Chicago Blackhawks wound up on the same team.

"He realizes that he misses me and when he doesn't have me he gets lonely," Toews said.
They were joined on Team Lidstrom with Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith and their former Chicago teammate Dustin Byfuglien.

Byfuglien was traded last summer because of salary cap concerns, but has enjoyed a breakout season with the Atlanta Thrashers, even though he switched from forward to defence. Big Buff leads all blue-liners this season with 16 goals.

"I can't say I thought we would be this good," said Byfuglien, who was wearing a pair of earrings ("I couldn't wear them in the past," he said in reference to Blackhawk rules).

Another surprising development to some of ex-teammates was that Byfuglien was given assistant captain status with the Thrashers. His former Blackhawks teammate, Adam Burish, now with the Dallas Stars, thought the Atlanta brass must have been nuts because of Byfuglien's fun-loving and wayward ways.

"I was a little surprised, too," Byfuglien said. "I definitely didn't think I would get something like that. Coming from a Cup team it was an honour."

Byfuglien should be the perfect type of blue-liner to excel in an outing like the all-star game.
"I'm a stay-at-home defenceman," he joked. "But I'll see if I can get out of my shell."

Young lion

Hurricanes 18-year-old Jeff Skinner couldn't wipe the smile off his face being involved with the game's best at the all-star game. A year ago, he was in high school in Kitchener playing junior hockey for the Rangers. So which player was he looking forward to meeting?

"I see Eric every day, but seeing all the top players is special," Skinner said. "I haven't really narrowed it down to anyone. As a fan you can appreciate everyone and take your pick. Whoever I talk to will be something special."

Price is right

A year ago, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price was searching for answers. This season, he's an all star.

"It's been a long year," he said. "This season has gone by pretty fast, but the second half of last year was pretty long. It's been a learning process, but useful and maybe a necessary step."

What are the chances we'll see a shutout on Sunday?

"Shutout percentages in this game are about one billion to one," Price said.

No easy solutions for headshots

A few of the all stars were asked whether more needs to be done by the NHL to curb headshots and concussions, especially with the game's best player in Sidney Crosby absent this weekend because of a concussion he is recovering from.

"I'm confident the NHL will make the right decisions," Montreal defenceman P.K. Subban said. "They have made strides.

"I wouldn't want to make those decisions."

Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara, who arrives on the scene here a five days after his teammate Marc Savard was diagnosed with another concussion, remarked that there are no easy solutions.

"It's such a sensitive topic," Chara said. "Something has to be changed. There has been a lot of talk about it. But I'm not sure what is going to happen."

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