Sharks’ Logan Couture picked to play in NHL All-Star game; Tomas Hertl still has shot

San Jose Sharks captain selected as part of Pacific Division team for the game, held Jan. 26 in St. Louis

SAN JOSE — Logan Couture is headed back to the NHL All-Star Game.

The San Jose Sharks captain was among nine Pacific Division players selected Monday as the NHL announced full rosters for the game, held Jan. 26 in St. Louis.

This is the first time Couture has been selected for the game since 2012.

Couture, 30, leads the Sharks with 33 points in 40 games this season.

Other Pacific Division forwards selected Monday were Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg, Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk, Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar and Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson. Connor McDavid had previously been named captain of the Pacific Division team.

The other Pacific Division selections were defenseman Mark Giordano of Calgary and goalies Darcy Kuemper of Arizona and Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury.

Sharks forward Tomas Hertl is among eight players up for the Pacific Division’s “Last Men In” spot, which is voted on by the public. Hertl is second on the Sharks with 30 points in 36 games.

Other Pacific Division players nominated to be voted in are Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf, Arizona’s Clayton Keller, Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau, Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Los Angeles’s Drew Doughty, Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes and Vegas’s Max Pacioretty.

Voting for the “Last Men In” opens Jan. 1, at 9 a.m. (PT) and closes Jan. 10, at 8:59 p.m. (PT). Fans are permitted to select as few as one player and a maximum of four players per ballot. The maximum number of ballots cast per 24-hour period for each fan is 10.

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