NEW YORK, NY – Starting November 15, fans around the world can vote for their top six All-Stars in the 2011 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting. For the fourth straight NHL® All-Star Game, the balloting process is entirely digital, offering sports’ most tech-savvy fans the ability to vote as often as they like via mobile devices and online at NHL.com/vote . In addition, fans this season can vote on Facebook ( facebook.com/NHL ), as the NHL All-Star fan voting process comes to the social networking platform for the first time. Through Jan. 3, NHL fans will be able to select up to six players by position – three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender – without regard to the Conference in which their teams play for in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game presented by Discover in Raleigh, N.C. As part of a new format for the 2011 NHL All-Star Game presented by Discover, the three forwards, two defensemen and goalie with the most votes will be named first NHL All-Stars. “The All-Star Fan Balloting has always been about fan engagement and giving fans the chance to see their favorite players face-off in the All-Star Game,” said Brian Jennings, NHL Executive Vice President of Marketing. “The exciting changes to the format for the All-Star Game and Honda NHL SuperSkills should spark the intensity in this year’s balloting process.” The defending Stanley Cup® champion Chicago Blackhawks have placed a League-high six players on the 100-name ballot, led by 2010 Playoffs MVP Jonathan Toews. Joining the Blackhawks captain are defensemen Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook plus forwards Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane. Twenty-year-old center Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who leads the League in goals and points this season and whose 51 goals last season tied him with Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby for the goal-scoring title, is making his first career appearance on the All-Star ballot. Other 20-year-olds making their All-Star ballot debuts are defenseman Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings, who followed Stamkos to the stage as the second overall selection in the 2008 Entry Draft, and center John Tavares of the New York Islanders, the first overall selection in 2009. NHL.com/vote , the microsite for 2011 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting, will feature interactive English and French ballots. Each player ballot includes video highlights and real-time player statistics. Fans will be permitted to select as few as one player – a balloted player or write-in – per online ballot. The NHL.com/vote ballot will be optimized for iPad users. Mobile users in the U.S. and Canada will be able to cast their votes via text message using any mobile device and wireless carrier. To vote via text message using any wireless carrier, fans should text their favorite player’s last name to the shortcode 81812. Message and data rates may apply. Fans in North America have the additional option of a mobile ballot available on iPhone, Android and all Blackberry devices, using any wireless carrier. During the six-week voting period, each player position will command the stage on the NHL on Facebook page for two weeks. First up on the social network platform’s ballot will be forwards. Fans will be able to vote for up to three forwards from Nov. 15-29. From Nov. 30-Dec. 12, fans can cast their votes for up to two defensemen per online ballot. During the last two weeks of voting, until the Jan. 3 closing period, fans will be able to vote for their top goaltender on Facebook.com/NHL. The NHL recently eclipsed 1 million fans on Facebook. Upon submitting every ballot on NHL.com/vote and Facebook.com/NHL, fans can share their selections via Facebook and Twitter with “I Voted” messages, directing others to cast their votes online. The NHL will announce voting results every Tuesday, starting November 23. Eligible residents of the United States and Canada who vote online at NHL.com/vote or via NHL on Facebook (facebook.com/NHL) will be able to enter for a chance to win one grand prize: a trip for two to attend the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend in Raleigh. There is no purchase necessary to enter or win. For sweepstakes rules, visit NHL.com/vote. The NHL will promote NHL All-Star Fan Balloting across its TV, print, online, in-arena, social networking and wireless advertising platforms. Promotional support will be provided by the NHL Network™, NHL Radio™ and broadcast partners VERSUS (U.S.), CBC (Canada) and RDS (Canada). Promotional materials for the campaign, in both English and French, will launch on Monday, Nov. 15, the first day of voting. ePrize designed and developed the NHL.com/vote and NHL on Facebook ballots as well as the mobile websites. Telescope, Inc., a pioneer in mobile solutions and participation TV, developed the text-to-vote program for the 2011 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting. The 2011 NHL All-Star Game presented by Discover will mark the first time Carolina has hosted NHL All-Star activities. The League’s mid-season spectacular will take place Saturday, January 29 and Sunday, January 30 and will include Honda NHL SuperSkills and the 58th NHL All-Star Game presented by Discover at RBC Center. Live television coverage of both nights will be provided by VERSUS in the U.S. and CBC and RDS in Canada. The Honda NHL SuperSkills will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, and the 2011 NHL All-Star Game presented by Discover will start at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday. Each NHL club placed two or more players on the ballot. Following are the 100 players named to the ballot in the 2011 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting:
2011 NHL ALL-STAR FAN BALLOT
Goaltenders Craig Anderson, Colorado Avalanche Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Toronto Maple Leafs Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues Nikolai Khabibulin, Edmonton Oilers Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins Tomas Vokoun, Florida Panthers Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes Defensemen Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary Flames Dan Boyle, San Jose Sharks Dustin Byfuglien, Atlanta Thrashers Brian Campbell, Chicago Blackhawks Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings Tobias Enstrom, Atlanta Thrashers Sergei Gonchar, Ottawa Senators Mike Green, Washington Capitals Dan Hamhuis, Vancouver Canucks Ed Jovanovski, Phoenix Coyotes Tomas Kaberle, Toronto Maple Leafs Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens Paul Martin, Pittsburgh Penguins Bryan McCabe, Florida Panthers Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs Joni Pitkanen, Carolina Hurricanes Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers Brian Rafalski, Detroit Red Wings Stephane Robidas, Dallas Stars Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks Marc Staal, New York Rangers Mark Streit, New York Islanders Ryan Suter, Nashville Predators Kimmo Timonen, Philadelphia Flyers Shea Weber, Nashville Predators Marek Zidlicky, Minnesota Wild Forwards Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins David Booth, Florida Panthers Danny Briere, Philadelphia Flyers Michael Cammalleri, Montreal Canadiens Jeff Carter, Philadelphia Flyers Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes Johan Franzen, Detroit Red Wings Marian Gaborik, New York Rangers Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks Brian Gionta, Montreal Canadiens Dany Heatley, San Jose Sharks Milan Hejduk, Colorado Avalanche Ales Hemsky, Edmonton Oilers Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils David Krejci, Boston Bruins Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks Brenden Morrow, Dallas Stars Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets TJ Oshie, St. Louis Blues Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals Zach Parise, New Jersey Devils Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks Brad Richards, Dallas Stars Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers Derek Roy, Buffalo Sabres Bobby Ryan, Anaheim Ducks Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks Ryan Smyth, Los Angeles Kings Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning Paul Stastny, Colorado Avalanche Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning John Tavares, New York Islanders Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks RJ Umberger, Columbus Blue Jackets Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings
Contact Comment@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.