2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 STAPLES Center, Los Angeles
Semifinal 1: Pacific Division 10, Central Division 3
Semifinal 2: Metropolitan Division 10, Atlantic Division 6
Tournament Final: Metropolitan Division 4, Pacific Division 3
METROPOLITAN DIVISION DETHRONES PACIFIC AS NHL ALL-STAR GAME CHAMPION
All-Star MVP Wayne Simmonds scored the game-winning goal with 4:48 to play and Braden Holtby did not allow a goal over the final 10 minutes as the Metropolitan Division edged the Pacific Division 4-3 in the Final of the 3-on-3 competition at the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game. The winning team was led behind the bench by Wayne Gretzky and assistant Paul Coffey, late replacements for Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella. As players, Gretzky and Coffey combined for 32 career All-Star appearances (Gretzky 18, Coffey 14).
The Metropolitan Division had advanced to the Final by defeating the Atlantic Division 10-6 in the Semifinals. Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 19 of 25 shots, with Holtby stopping 12 of 15 shots — the most that any All-Star goaltender has faced in one game under the 3-on-3 format. Cam Atkinson and John Tavares (both 2-2–4) led all scorers for the winners.
The Pacific Division had advanced to the Final by defeating the Central Division 10-3 in the Semifinals. Each of the team’s nine skaters tallied a goal as well as multiple points in a balanced attack, led by Cam Fowler’s game-leading four points (1-3–4). Hometown Kings stars Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty added 1-2–3 apiece.
The format divided the All-Star Game into three 20-minute games, with players from each Division making up the four All-Star teams: Pacific, Central, Atlantic, and Metropolitan.
As tournament champions the Metropolitan Division players claim the winner-take-all $1-million prize.
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SIMMONDS VOTED HONDA NHL ALL-STAR GAME MVP
Metropolitan Division forward Wayne Simmonds captured 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game MVP honors and will take home a 2017 Honda Ridgeline truck. Simmonds, making his All-Star debut, scored the first two goals in a 10-6 win over the Atlantic Division in the Semifinal and tallied the game-winning goal with 4:58 to play in a 4-3 win over the Pacific Division in the Final. Simmonds accepted MVP honors on the STAPLES Center ice he called home for three NHL seasons. A second-round pick (61st overall) of the Kings in the 2007 NHL Draft, Simmonds played the first three seasons of his NHL career in Los Angeles from 2008-09 through 2010-11.
HALL REPEATS AS ALL-STAR WINNER
Metropolitan Division forward Taylor Hall becomes the only player to win back-to-back All-Star Game titles under the 3-on-3 format. Hall was a member of the winning Pacific Division side in 2016 when he played for the Edmonton Oilers. Hall was a combined 1-3–4 in two games today, recording the lone assist on MVP Wayne Simmonds’ game-winning goal in the Final.
BEST TWO-GAME TOTALS
Most Goals
3 – Wayne Simmonds (Metropolitan) 3 – Cam Atkinson (Metropolitan)
Most Assists
4 – Justin Faulk (Metropolitan)
Most Points
5 – Cam Atkinson (Metropolitan) 3-2–5 5 – John Tavares (Metropolitan) 2-3–5 5 – Justin Faulk (Metropolitan) 1-4–5
BEST SINGLE-GAME TOTALS
Most Goals
2 – Johnny Gaudreau (Pacific) vs. Central in SF 2 – Cam Atkinson (Metropolitan) vs. Atlantic in SF 2 – Wayne Simmonds (Metropolitan) vs. Atlantic in SF 2 – John Tavares (Metropolitan) vs. Atlantic in SF 2 – Nikita Kucherov (Atlantic) vs. Metropolitan in SF
Most Assists
3 – Cam Fowler (Pacific) vs. Central in SF 3 – Justin Faulk (Metropolitan) vs. Atlantic in SF 3 – Vincent Trocheck (Atlantic) vs. Metropolitan in SF
Most Points
4 – Cam Atkinson (Metropolitan) vs. Atlantic in SF (2-2–4) 4 – John Tavares (Metropolitan) vs. Atlantic in SF (2-2–4) 4 – Nikita Kucherov (Atlantic) vs. Metropolitan in SF (2-2–4) 4 – Cam Fowler (Pacific) vs. Central in SF (1-3–4)
4 – Vincent Trocheck (Atlantic) vs. Metropolitan in SF (1-3–4)
Fewest Goals Against
0 – Braden Holtby (Metropolitan) vs. Pacific in Final (5 shots)
Most Saves
12 – Braden Holtby (Metropolitan) vs. Atlantic in SF (15 shots)
* Information provided via NHL Press Release
National Hockey League Press Release. Information provided from the NHL that describes various news releases that describe current events in the league.