NHL first-, second- and third-team all-stars (1968-2023)

[Ishdul]

Observations

• I can't take credit for this observation, but I read somewhere that this is the first time in a very long time (70+ years?) that all six players on the first team are making their debuts on the first team.

I heard that it was the first since the first season the postseason All-Star Team existed.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

2020-21 results

First centre: Connor McDavid (4 first, 0 second, 1 third; 5 total)
Second centre: Auston Matthews (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third centre: Nathan MacKinnon (0 first, 2 second, 2 third; 4 total)

First LW: Brad Marchand (2 first, 2 second, 0 third; 4 total)
Second LW: Jonathan Huberdeau (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third LW: Artemi Panarin (1 first, 1 second, 1 third; 3 total)

First RW: Mitch Marner (1 first, 0 second, 1 third; 2 total)
Second RW: Mikko Rantanen (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third RW: Mark Stone (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)

First defense: Adam Fox (1 first, 0 second, 0 third; 1 total)
First defense: Cale Makar (1 first, 0 second, 1 third; 2 total)
Second defense: Victor Hedman (1 first, 4 second, 0 third; 5 total)
Second defense: Dougie Hamilton (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third defense: Shea Theodore (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)
Third defense: Charlie Mcavoy (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)

First goalie: Andrei Vasilevskiy (2 first, 0 second, 2 third; 4 total)
Second goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third goalie: Philipp Grubauer (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)

Observations

• Connor McDavid nearly became the first player since Jarome Iginla in 2002 to earn a unanimous selection. He received 99 first-place votes, and 1 second-place vote.
• Andrei Vasilevskiy earned his 4th top-three selection. Only six post-expansion goalies have more.
• Victor Hedman, just 30 years old, is the old man on the blueline. He nearly has as many top three selections as the other five blueliners combined.
• Nathan MacKinnon still hasn't earned a spot on the first team, but he's placed on the 2nd or 3rd team four years in a row (exactly matching Stamkos's record).
• Leon Draisaitl was 2nd in scoring, but only 4th in all-star voting. He's the only player post-expansion to finish 2nd in scoring and out of the top three in all-star voting.

 

[Beau Knows]

I think this was just the 2nd time both Crosby and Ovechkin failed to make any of the three teams?

 

[Hockey Outsider]

I think this was just the 2nd time both Crosby and Ovechkin failed to make any of the three teams?

This is only the 2nd time (16 years into his career) where Ovechkin didn't finish at least top three in year-end all-star voting. The only other season was 2012.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

2021-22 results

First centre: Auston Matthews (1 first, 1 second, 0 third; 2 total)
Second centre: Connor McDavid (4 first, 1 second, 1 third; 6 total)
Third centre: Leon Draisaitl (1 first, 0 second, 1 third; 2 total)

First LW: Johnny Gaudreau (1 first, 0 second, 2 third; 3 total)
Second LW: Jonathan Huberdeau (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third LW: Kirill Kaprizov (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)

First RW: Mitch Marner (2 first, 0 second, 1 third; 3 total)
Second RW: Matthew Tkachuk (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third RW: Mikko Rantanen (0 first, 1 second, 1 third; 2 total)

First defense: Cale Makar (2 first, 0 second, 1 third; 3 total)
First defense: Roman Josi (2 first, 0 second, 2 third; 4 total)
Second defense: Victor Hedman (1 first, 5 second, 0 third; 6 total)
Second defense: Charlie Mcavoy (0 first, 1 second, 1 third; 2 total)
Third defense: Adam Fox (1 first, 0 second, 1 third; 2 total)
Third defense: Aaron Ekblad (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)

First goalie: Igor Shesterkin (1 first, 0 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Second goalie: Jacob Markstrom (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third goalie: Frederik Andersen (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)

Observations

Connor McDavid had his 6th season in the top three in year-end all-star voting (all consecutive). At age 25, only five centres are ahead of him (1968 onwards) - Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Phil Esposito, and Bobby Clarke.

Cale Makar has started his career with three consecutive spots on the year-end all-star team (he's been on the first team in 2021 and 2022, and he also earned a spot on the unofficial third team in his rookie season).

Victor Hedman had his sixth season (all consecutive) on one of the top two (official) all-star teams. This ties him with some big names including Larry Robinson and fellow Swede Borje Salming (believe it or not, by this metric, he's already ahead of Chris Pronger, Scott Stevens, and Brian Leetch).

All three goalies earned their first career placement on a year-end all-star team.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Using a 5 3 1 scoring system, McDavid is now 7th all time for centres.

1. Gretzky- 62
2. Beliveau- 40
3. Lemieux - 37
4. Esposito- 36
4. Mikita- 36
6. Crosby - 34
7. Morenz- 24
7. McDavid- 24

 

[Hockey Outsider]

2022-23 results

First centre: Connor McDavid (5 first, 1 second, 1 third; 7 total)
Second centre: Leon Draisaitl (1 first, 1 second, 1 third; 3 total)
Third centre: Nathan MacKinnon (0 first, 2 second, 3 third; 5 total)

First LW: Jason Robertson (1 first, 0 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Second LW: Artemi Panarin (1 first, 2 second, 1 third; 4 total)
Third LW: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)

First RW: David Pastrnak (2 first, 0 second, 0 third; 2 total)
Second RW: Matthew Tkachuk (0 first, 2 second, 0 third; 2 total)
Third RW: Mikko Rantanen (0 first, 1 second, 2 third; 3 total)

First defense: Erik Karlsson (5 first, 0 second, 0 third; 5 total)
First defense: Adam Fox (2 first, 0 second, 1 third; 3 total)
Second defense: Cale Makar (2 first, 1 second, 1 third; 4 total)
Second defense: Hampus Lindholm (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third defense: Josh Morrissey (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)
Third defense: Rasmus Dahlin (0 first, 0 second, 1 third; 1 total)

First goalie: Linus Ullmark (1 first, 0 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Second goalie: Ilya Sorokin (0 first, 1 second, 0 third; 1 total)
Third goalie: Connor Hellebuyck (1 first, 1 second, 1 third; 3 total)

Observations

Connor McDavid had his 7th season in the top three in year-end all-star voting (all consecutive). At age 26, only five centres are ahead of him (1968 onwards) - Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, and Phil Esposito.

McDavid nearly became the first player in more than two decades to earn a unanimous spot on the all-star team. He was named first on 191 out of 192 ballots. He was named second on the final ballot (behind Mike Zibanejad). That vote is puzzling. It's tough to imagine any conceivable argument for Zibanejad > McDavid. It's even more confusing because Zibanejad was only named on one additional ballot out of 192.

Nathan MacKinnon has never earned a spot on the first team, but he was on the second team twice, and on the unofficial third team three times. His record is identical to Gilbert Perreault's.

Erik Karlsson earned a spot on the first team for the 5th time. That ties him with three big names - Potvin, Chelios, and Park. The only defensemen with more years with a spot on the year-end first all-star team are the consensus top three defensemen post expansion - Orr, Bourque, and Lidstrom.

Some writers apparently didn't realize which position Tkachuk played. He finish 2nd at RW and 5th at LW. (Aside from Jason Robertson, who decisively won a spot on the first team, RW Tkachuk actually got more first place votes at LW than every other player combined).

 

[The Panther]

Do we know who the ass-clown was who voted Zibanejad over McDavid?

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Do we know who the ass-clown was who voted Zibanejad over McDavid?

Russ Cohen from Sportology. (He appears to be a Rangers fan).

It's one of the strangest votes I've ever seen. McDavid almost has as many assists as Zibanejad has points... and McDavid also had 64 goals (the 2nd highest total in 25+ years). Zibanejad is a bit better defensively but he definitely wasn't a top five centre last year, and probably not even top ten.

(The wackiest all-star vote I could find? In 1986, Gretzky set a new record with 215 points. He took 57 out of 60 first place votes. Two votes went to a rookie Mario Lemieux - presumably due to voter fatigue. One vote went to Bengt-Ake Gustafsson - crazy)

 

[The Panther]

I disagree that Zibanejad is better than McDavid defensively. In either case, an insane vote.

I guess there is always one Stan Fischler.

 

[TheStatican]

(The wackiest all-star vote I could find? In 1986, Gretzky set a new record with 215 points. He took 57 out of 60 first place votes. Two votes went to a rookie Mario Lemieux - presumably due to voter fatigue. One vote went to Bengt-Ake Gustafsson - crazy)

That was Mario's second year when he scored 141. The Bengt-Ake Gustafsson vote is straight up nonsensical though.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Obviously the focus is rightly on McDavid, but MacKinnon has put together a hell of a resume.

After Crosby/McDavid, he has the most times on a 1st/2nd/3rd team amongst post Thornton centres. Only behind Thornton as well for post Lemieux centres.

 

[MS]

Some writers apparently didn't realize which position Tkachuk played. He finish 2nd at RW and 5th at LW. (Aside from Jason Robertson, who decisively won a spot on the first team, RW Tkachuk actually got more first place votes at LW than every other player combined).

They really need to do something to standardize positions for players on the ballots and make it idiot-proof for voters so they can only vote for Tkachuk as a RW, etc.

That season that Ovechkin was on the AS team at both RW and LW still hurts my head and I can't believe the league allowed it to stand (I consider Taylor Hall to have been a 2nd Team AS in 2013). And as as a Canuck fan, I'm still irked by how Todd Bertuzzi was jobbed in 2002.

 

[Ishdul]

They really need to do something to standardize positions for players on the ballots and make it idiot-proof for voters so they can only vote for Tkachuk as a RW, etc.

That season that Ovechkin was on the AS team at both RW and LW still hurts my head and I can't believe the league allowed it to stand (I consider Taylor Hall to have been a 2nd Team AS in 2013). And as as a Canuck fan, I'm still irked by how Todd Bertuzzi was jobbed in 2002.

My preference is to just have generic forward slots. Certainly some drawbacks but also solves some of the relative weakness of LW's most years.

At the least they should add your total votes together so guys who switch positions or are otherwise considered ambiguous aren't punished. The NBA did this, although they're now going to fully positionless voting.

The NFL's process for All-Pro is as bad as the NHL's.

 

[MS]

My preference is to just have generic forward slots. Certainly some drawbacks but also solves some of the relative weakness of LW's most years.

At the least they should add your total votes together so guys who switch positions or are otherwise considered ambiguous aren't punished. The NBA did this, although they're now going to fully positionless voting.

The NFL's process for All-Pro is as bad as the NHL's.

Or at least make the two winger slots generic.

There is also a precedent for this as the NHL All-Rookie team just has the 3 generic forward slots.

 

[MadLuke]

Wonder how much less issue doing forward-d-G teams instead of LW-RW-center...

The 2 wingers-center being maybe more than OK and better. How many people missed the team by having their vote split among two positions and weak left-winger getting in...

 

[MS]

Wonder how much less issue doing forward-d-G teams instead of LW-RW-center...

The 2 wingers-center being maybe more than OK and better. How many people missed the team by having their vote split among two positions and weak left-winger getting in...

I mentioned Bertuzzi above but just to clarify further :

In 2001-02 Todd Bertuzzi was the 2nd-highest scoring RW in the NHL to Jarome Iginla and the 3rd-highest scoring winger overall. But, inexplicably, most of the voters voted him as a LW even though his linemate Naslund was also the 1st Team AS LW that year. His combined votes were the 4th-highest amongst wingers and he should have been the 2nd Team AS RW but instead he has a 3rd place finish at RW and a 6th at LW. Bill Guerin got an AS selection he didn't deserve as a result.

The next year the voters actually figured out that he played RW and was the 1st Team AS RW.

 

[JackSlater]

They really need to do something to standardize positions for players on the ballots and make it idiot-proof for voters so they can only vote for Tkachuk as a RW, etc.

That season that Ovechkin was on the AS team at both RW and LW still hurts my head and I can't believe the league allowed it to stand (I consider Taylor Hall to have been a 2nd Team AS in 2013). And as as a Canuck fan, I'm still irked by how Todd Bertuzzi was jobbed in 2002.

Yeah I consider Hall to be the second team all star LW that year and it boggles the mind that the NHL allowed a blatant mistake to stand, particularly when Ovechkin was already made the first team all star in his actual position that year.

 

[Dingo]

I would be so happy to go back and do allstar teams based on centre plus two forwards. I think centre has its own requirements, particularly faceoffs and backchecking, that set it apart from the wings.

 

[MS]

Yeah I consider Hall to be the second team all star LW that year and it boggles the mind that the NHL allowed a blatant mistake to stand, particularly when Ovechkin was already made the first team all star in his actual position that year.

It's absolutely absurd and it undermines the whole credibility of the whole process.

I don't know if the NHL thought it was a cool marketing thing to say 'look how dominant this superstar is!' or what, but it should never have been allowed to stand.

Every time I see it my eye starts twitching.

It should honestly still retroactively be fixed - they can even let Ovechkin keep his double-selection if they want and have two 2nd Team AS LWs for that year.