What to know about the Canucks at the All-Star Game (2024)

For the first time in two decades, one team has a half-dozen players at an NHL All-Star weekend.

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In 2001, the Colorado Avalanche sent five players to the All-Star game.

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For this year’s edition in Toronto, the Vancouver Canucks have six.

And a coach.

It’s a wild time to be a Vancouver Canucks fan.

Here’s a few things to know about this weekend’s All-Star festivities.

One more

Quinn Hughes was picked as one of the first 32 players named to the All-Star rosters. He was later named a captain.

Then four more Canucks were picked in a fan vote: J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko.

Rick Tocchet was named as one of the four coaches by virtue of his team having the best record in the entire league.

The Canucks’ contingent became six on Wednesday when Elias Lindholm was picked up in a trade from the Calgary Flames.

Lindholm was originally selected as the Flames’ representative, but obviously his allegiance has switched.

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Skills time

Four of the six Canucks will take part in Friday’s skills competition: Hughes is in the fastest skater, passing challenge, stick-handling and accuracy shooting events, Pettersson will be in the one-timers, passing challenge, hardest shot and stick-handling events, while Miller is in the one-timers, passing challenge, hardest shot and accuracy shooting events.

Thatcher Demko is one of the eight goalies available for selection in the one-on-one event, which will see the top eight point-earners from the six skaters events shooting on a goalie of their choice.

Game time

For Saturday’s tournament, Hughes ended up picking all his Canucks teammates for his squad, save Lindholm, their newest teammate, who ended up on Nathan MacKinnon’s squad.

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Team Hughes will face off with Auston Matthews’ Toronto Maple Leafs-led team in the first round.

Hey, coach

This is the second All-Star selection for Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. While with Arizona, the affable coach headed the Pacific Division in 2020, leading his team to the overall victory.

As a player, he was an All-Star four times between 1989 to 1993. He is also the fourth Canucks coach to serve as an All-Star bench boss, following Alain Vigneault (2011), Marc Crawford (2003) and Roger Neilson (1983).

The schedule

Friday’s skills competition starts at 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet, while the actual games start Saturday at noon PT on both CBC and Sportsnet.

pjonston@postmedia.com

@risingaction.bsky.app

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