During intermission of last night’s game, the NHL announced its All-Star teams. Beginning with the Eastern Conference All-Stars in the first intermission and then the Western Conference teams in the second, the league picked one player from each club. The representative for the Blue Jackets: Johnny Gaudreau.
It comes of little surprise – Gaudreau has been easily the team’s best and most consistent offensive threat this season. With 37 games played, he has 11 goals and 38 points, leading the team in scoring by a full 16 points (Boone Jenner, 22).
This will be Gaudreau’s seventh appearance at the All-Star game and first with the Blue Jackets; he once played in five straight from 2015-19.
pure. art. pic.twitter.com/78tQhzlnil
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 6, 2023
Signed by the Blue Jackets to a 7-year, $68.25m free agency contract on July 13, Gaudreau has been everything advertised for a team who has struggled all year. While his scoring has been streaky, he’s dangerous on any given night and has remained productive in spite of constant change on the roster and to his linemates.
There will be four All-Star teams, each made up from players within each division (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, Pacific). With 8 slots selected by the league, fans now have the chance to vote in 3 additional players to each roster (two skaters, one goaltender).
You can vote here, or you can submit your vote via Twitter by tweeting out a player’s full name or Twitter handle. Voting ends January 17, so if you want to get your votes in for a CBJ player, act quickly!
The All-Star weekend kicks off with the annual Skills Competition on Friday, February 3rd – followed by the 3-on-3 tournament of games on Saturday, February 4th.