Cooper, Laviolette, Trotz, Gallant named NHL All-Star Game coaches
The NHL announced Sunday that Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic), Peter Laviolette of the Nashville Predators (Central), Barry Trotz of the Washington Capitals (Metropolitan) and Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights (Pacific) will coach their respective divisions in the 2018 NHL All-Star Game at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 28.
Under the All-Star selection process, the head coach of the team with the highest points percentage (points earned divided by total possible points) in each of the four divisions through games of Jan. 6 -- the halfway point of the regular season -- will guide the respective All-Star rosters.
Cooper's Lightning (.744, 29-9-3) posted the top points percentage in the Atlantic Division through games of Saturday, while Laviolette's Predators (.659, 24-11-6), Trotz's Capitals (.646, 25-13-3) and Gallant's Golden Knights (.725, 28-10-2) similarly wrapped up the highest points percentages in the Central, Metropolitan and Pacific Divisions, respectively.
Cooper, Laviolette, Trotz and Gallant join Lightning forward Steven Stamkos (Atlantic), Predators defenseman P.K. Subban (Central), Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (Metropolitan) and Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (Pacific), who were voted by fans as captains for the 2018 NHL All-Star Weekend.
For the third straight season, the All-Star Game will feature a three-game tournament, played in a 3-on-3 format, showcasing teams from each NHL division. Each of the four teams will include six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.
The remaining 40 All-Stars, determined by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department, will be announced Wednesday.
The Lightning, who are celebrating their 25th season, and the city of Tampa will host the NHL All-Star Weekend. The league's midseason showcase will include the All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday, Jan. 27.
--Field Level Media
