2 Golden Knights named to Pacific Division All-Star team
The Golden Knights will be well represented at their home NHL All-Star Game.
Forward Mark Stone and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo were named to the Pacific Division team Thursday for All-Star Weekend on Feb. 4 and 5 at T-Mobile Arena.
It will be Pietrangelo’s third All-Star appearance and second at home after he participated when St. Louis hosted in 2020. It will be Stone’s first All-Star Weekend.
Pete DeBoer also will attend after being named coach of the Pacific Division on Tuesday.
The three could be joined by left wing Jonathan Marchessault, the Knights’ representative in the “Last Men In” fan voting.
“It’d be cool to show off the city, show off our building and show off our great fans that we have here in Las Vegas,” Stone said Tuesday. “Something that all of us are proud of.”
Stone and Pietrangelo were worthy selections.
Stone has seven goals and 18 assists in 22 games. He’s tied for fourth on the team in points despite missing 17 games with injuries.
Pietrangelo has six goals and 18 assists in 37 games. He’s averaging 25:54 of ice time, the most on the Knights and tied for the fifth in the NHL.
Pietrangelo spoke glowingly Monday of his first experience at the event.
“When you’re in the comfort of your own home and your home rink, it makes it even better,” said Pietrangelo, the only defenseman on the Pacific Division roster.
The Knights are one of eight teams that had two players named to All-Star Weekend and one of four that had two skaters chosen. Carolina and Colorado also had two players and their coach selected.
One former Knight also was picked — Montreal center Nick Suzuki, the team’s second-ever draft pick in 2017 who was traded for left wing Max Pacioretty a year later.
Marchessault could join his teammates if he’s voted in. Fans can vote at NHL.com/lastmenin from Thursday to Monday. Each team has one candidate, and each division will get one addition.
Marchessault has 18 goals, tied for 11th in the league, and nine assists in 34 games.
If Marchessault is voted in, it would give the Knights the most representatives they’ve had at an All-Star Weekend. Coach Gerard Gallant, left wing James Neal and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury went in 2018. Fleury went in 2019. Fleury and Gallant were named in 2020, but Fleury declined to participate and Gallant was fired before the event. Pacioretty represented the Knights instead. There was no All-Star Weekend in 2021.
The All-Star teams will have nine skaters and two goaltenders apiece once the “Last Men In” voting has concluded. The four captains, as chosen by a fan vote, are Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (Pacific), Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (Central), Toronto’s Auston Matthews (Atlantic) and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (Metropolitan).
The All-Star skills competition will take place at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 4 and air on ESPN. The All-Star Game will start at noon Feb. 5 and be televised on KTNV-13.
A fan fest will take place from Feb. 3 to 6 at Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall featuring interactive games, a kids zone, appearances by NHL alumni and mascots, memorabilia and trophy displays.
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.