Quote:NHL all-stars announced

January 17, 2003

New York, NY (Sports Network) - The National Hockey League announced Thursday the full rosters for the 2003 All-Star Game, which will take place in Sunrise, Florida on February 2. Fifteen players were added to each of the Eastern and Western Conference teams, as the midseason classic changed back to conference play after five seasons in which the North American All-Stars battled the NHL's World All-Stars.



Markus Naslund, the NHL's leading goal-scorer was added along with Vancouver teammates Todd Bertuzzi and defenseman Ed Jovanovski to the Western Conference team. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars were the only other teams with three All-Stars chosen.

Colorado forward Peter Forsberg, who returns to the All-Star game after a one- year absence caused by a foot injury, will join goaltender Patrick Roy and defenseman Rob Blake, who were both announced as starters for the Western squad on Saturday.

Dallas goaltender Marty Turco, who has earned five shutouts this season, will join his teammates Bill Guerin and Mike Modano. Both forwards were also named starters for the West.

Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who was the leading vote-getter for the second straight year, will start alongside Blake. The other defensemen named to the Western Conference team were Eric Brewer of Edmonton, Al MacInnis of St. Louis and Mathieu Schneider of Los Angeles.

San Jose's Teemu Selanne will join Guerin and Modano on the starting forward line for the West. The other forwards will be Anaheim's Paul Kariya, Calgary's Jarome Iginla, Ray Whitney of Columbus, Sergei Fedorov of Detroit, Minnesota's Marian Gaborik and Doug Weight of St. Louis.

Chicago goaltender Jocelyn Thibault was also named a reserve goaltender for the Western Conference.

Tampa Bay's netminder Nikolai Khabibulin will start in goal for the Eastern Conference, and Toronto's Ed Belfour and New Jersey's Martin Brodeur were awarded the reserve spots in net on Thursday.

Pittsburgh forwards Mario Lemieux and Alexei Kovalev will join former teammate Jaromir Jagr of Washington as the starting forwards on the Eastern squad.

The other forwards named to represent the East were Atlanta's Dany Heatley, Boston's Glen Murray and Joe Thornton, Carolina's Jeff O'Neill, Saku Koivu of Montreal, Marian Hossa of Ottawa, Jeremy Roenick of Philadelphia, Martin St. Louis of Tampa Bay and Toronto's Mats Sundin.

Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers and Florida's Sandis Ozolinsh were elected as the starting defenseman for the Eastern Conference. The reserves include Zdeno Chara of Ottawa, Sergei Gonchar of Washington, Roman Hamrlik of the New York Islanders and New Jersey's Scott Stevens.

Vancouver's Marc Crawford will coach the Western squad, and Ottawa's Jacques Martin will guide the East.

Quote:Until Bobby Clark is fired I will no longer recognize hockey as a legitimate sport.