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| Monday, January 31 | |||||
TORONTO -- Buffalo Sabres goaltender Dominik Hasek was
selected Saturday as a starter for the 50th NHL All-Star game
despite missing most of the first half with a groin injury.
The Czech star doubts he'll be ready to return to action until February. The All-Star game is scheduled for Feb. 6 at Toronto.
"Next week, I hope I can start to skate with the goalie equipment," Hasek said earlier this week. "Maybe by the middle of the month, I can practice with my teammates. I hope it's by the end of this month -- if not, February. I don't even think about March." The World team lost 8-6 last year and 8-7 in 1998, the first two years the international format was used for the All-Star game. Starters were selected in fan balloting from Nov. 1 to Jan. 3. Pittsburgh right wing Jaromir Jagr became the first player to receive more than 1 million votes. "I'm pretty lucky," Jagr said. "My second year in the league I was voted to the All-Star game, and I've been voted in ever since. I'm thankful for that." Fan balloting began in 1985-86. Jagr's total eclipsed the former high of 620,788 set by Detroit's Paul Coffey in 1995-96. Joining Hasek and Jagr as starters on the world team are Anaheim wing Teemu Selanne, Toronto center Mats Sundin and Detroit defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom and Colorado defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh. The six starters for the North American team are all Canadian-born: Toronto goaltender Curtis Joseph , Detroit center Steve Yzerman, Anaheim wing Paul Kariya, Detroit wing Brendan Shanahan, St. Louis defenseman Chris Pronger and Los Angeles defenseman Rob Blake.
Toronto's Pat Quinn will coach the North Americans and Detroit's
Scottie Bowman, in what might be his final season, will coach the
World team.
| ALSO SEE Bowman, Quinn named as NHL All-Star coaches |