Toews, Keith are All-Stars
BY ADAM L. JAHNS ajahns@suntimes.com January 4, 2011 11:28PM
Updated: September 24, 2012 6:25AM
Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews and defenseman Duncan Keith were voted into the 2011 All-Star Game by fans, finishing second at their respective positions in voting that ended late Monday.
Also voted in were four Pittsburgh Penguins: centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and defenseman Kris Letang.
The remaining 36 spots for the All-Star Game on Jan. 30 in Raleigh, N.C., will be selected by the NHL, which instituted changes to the All-Star format, and announced Tuesday.
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville and assistant Mike Haviland will coach one of the All-Star teams.
‘‘When you get voted in, it’s really special,’’ said Keith, who had 382,162 fan votes to Letang’s 477,960. ‘‘You grow up as a kid and you’re a fan of the game, [and] you always want to be one of those guys recognized by the fans.’’
Keith, who won the Norris Trophy last season as the top defenseman in the league, leads the NHL in minutes played and has a team-high 21 assists. Toews has 16 goals, 35 points and a plus-8 rating. It will be the second All-Star Game appearance for each.
‘‘I have the fans to thank,’’ said Toews, who had 407,676 votes to 635,509 for Crosby. ‘‘It’s an honor for me and very exciting for anyone to go to that game.’’
