BREAKING NEWS: Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs was left off the NHL All-Star teams.

At the award show on Thursday night, the NHL revealed its yearly All-Star teams. The following are the rosters that the members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association have chosen.

Initial All-Star Group

LW: Rangers’ Artemi Panarin
C: Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon
RW: Lightning, Nikita Kucherov
D: Canucks Quinn Hughes
D: Predators, Roman Josi
G: Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck

The Second All-Star Squad

LW: Filip Forsberg (Predators) C: Connor McDavid (Oilers) RW: David Pastrňák (Bruins) D: Adam Fox (Rangers) D: Cale Makar (Avalanche) G: Thatcher Demko (Canucks) The First Team selection completes an incredible day for MacKinnon, who also won the Ted Lindsay Award and the Hart Trophy as the player’s MVP. This is MacKinnon’s third All-Star selection; his two previous selections were both Second Team honors in 2018 and 2020. The 28-year-old pivot led the Avs in scoring 51 goals and 140 points this season and recorded a league-high 405 shots on goal.

Interestingly, Kucherov was selected unanimously for the First Team at right wing according to the voting ledger, which can be found in the league’s announcement. It is the first time since Jarome Iginla of the Flames was selected first overall in 2002 following his Richard and Art Ross trophy victory. Similar to Iginla, Kucherov scored 144 points in 81 games to win this year’s Art Ross Trophy. He became the first winger in NHL history to reach 100 assists, tying with Darren McDavid for the league lead.

Superstar Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs, whose 69 goals this season are the most of any player since Mario Lemieux in 1995–96, is not on either team. In addition, he was unable to get past Kucherov, MacKinnon, and McDavid to the Hart Trophy finals. Despite this, he received nine First Team and fifty-five Second Team votes out of 187 votes, placing him third among centers in the All-Star voting. Sidney Crosby of the Penguins, who only featured on four ballots, was the only other center to be given consideration.