NHL All-Star Game Has Many New Faces

For many of the NHL’s best players, Sunday will be one day they likely will never forget. The NHL plays its 2015 All-Star game on Sunday and will feature veterans of the game and showcase the top talent and personalities of the sport.

However, for 20 players of different ages, this is the first time they will play an All-Star Game in the NHL. On Friday, the team captains – Jonathan Toews from the Chicago Blackhawks and Nick Foligno from the Columbus Blue Jackets – chose the teams.

Brent Seabrook a defenseman for the Blackhawks will play for teammate Toews. Seabrook is a veteran who will be 30 in April, but will be playing in his first All-Star Game.

Patrice Bergeron who plays with the Boston Bruins will play for Team Toews. He has won the Stanley Cup, the Selke Trophy twice and an Olympic gold medalist twice.

Many consider Bergeron one of the best NHL two-way players, but now with advanced type of stats, he is considered one of the top centers period, without a qualifier of two-way attached to it.

Offensively he has 11 goals and 23 assists. This is his first trip and he can now say he lived that fulfilling experience.

Other first timers include Radim Vrbata a 33-year old from the Czech Republic. He has 18 goals for Vancouver and plays along the line of Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin

Tyler Johnson a center is 24 and from Washington. He was not drafted in the NHL but is now an integral player for Tampa Bay. He did not take part in the Skills Competition on Saturday and it is not yet known if he will play on Sunday.

Along with newcomers and rookies, there are the many experienced players such as Patrick Kane, Steven Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin and others who will take part.

Other first timers include the leading scorer in the league Jakub Voracek and Ryan Johansen. Voracek plays for the Philadelphia Flyers while Johansen is with the Blue Jackets.

Voracek used to play for the Blue Jackets and will be coached in this game by Peter Laviolette his former head coach on Team Toews, while Darryl Sutter will coach for Team Foligno.

The NHL All-Star game is usually high scoring with the most talented players from around the world showcasing their skill in a relaxed atmosphere were scoring is plentiful and fisticuffs put to rest for 60 minutes.

Team Foligno is favored on the money line at -110, with Team Toews sitting at +100. In the past two All-Star games, there have been 21 goals scored in each and odds makers have the total for this one set on 21 as well.