A day after the Buffalo GM Luke Wile posted his team selection, the Western Conference GM Gareth Evans revealed his team and potential linemates. Most notable absences from the team are league leading centerman Pavel Datsyuk, who was overlooked due to the other three Blues already selected in the lineup and Chicago's Joe Thornton and Vincent Lecavalier.
With the first line of Jason Arnott, Patrick Kane and Alexander Semin, the defensive pair of Mike Green and Sergei Gonchar and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov already guaranteed a place; some hard decisions had to be made. While some may bemoan the fact that their top scorer didn't make the team, it seems the team was built around a team set up used by the St Louis Blues during the regular season. For any naysayers that the Western Conference cannot handle the East, GM Gareth Evans made it perfectly clear what they can do. "Frankly, they can just go to hell, three game series, the West will prevail!"
Forwards Jason Arnott (C - STL) Patrick Kane (RW - DET) Alexander Semin (LW - SJ) Marian Gaborik (LW - ANA) Evgeni Malkin (C - COL) Eric Staal (RW - STL) Derek Roy (LW - COL) Travis Zajac (C - DAL) Owen Nolan (RW - PHX) Milan Lucic (LW - LA) Jarret Stoll (C - NSH) Teemu Selanne (RW - PHX)
Defensemen Mike Green (D - CHI) Sergei Gonchar (D - DET) Nicklas Lidstrom (D - CAL) Mark Streit (D - CHI) Keith Ballard (D - CLB) Tobias Enstrom (D - MIN)
Goalies Evgeni Nabokov (G - STL) Martin Biron (G - EDM) Kari Lehtonen (G - VAN)
St Louis is the most represented team with three players (including two starters), Detroit, Colorado, Chicago and Phoenix all have had two players selected.
sorry for making it look bad... we know its no stranger the west is bottom half weak... but there will always be snubs when you need to make it a complete all star game with every team. we can make a 2nd all star game with those 3 goalies.
-- Edited by Predsgm on Thursday 10th of June 2010 12:26:38 PM