The Washington Capitals celebrate their 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins is injured at the Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals on New Year's Day. A few days later, he was hit again in a game and ended up sitting out with concussion symptoms until November.

Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs sits alone as the last pick of the NHL All-Star fantasy draft. Instead of the usual East vs. West, the NHL shook things up by having two players -- Eric Staal and Nicklas Lidstrom -- pick their teams from available All-Stars. Because he was the last pick, Kessel was also awarded a car and a money to donate to his favorite charity.

The new "fantasy league" format for the All-Star Game allowed for players from the same NHL teams to be on different All-Star teams. Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks pose in their All-Star Game gear -- Sharp for Team Staal and the other three for Team Lidstrom.

The Calgary Flames stand during the pre-game ceremonies before their 2011 Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens. The Classic was played outdoors as a Canadian version of the annual New Year's Day Winter Classic based in the U.S.

Jordin Tootoo of the Nashville Predators reacts after his fight against Ryan Wilson of the Colorado Avalanche in March.

The Canadiens' Max Pacioretty lays on the ice after being hit by the Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chara in Montreal. Pacioretty was stretched off the ice and later diagnosed with a fractured vertabra and a concussion.

Players and fans stand for a moment of silence honoring former Buffalo Sabres player Rick Martin. Martin, a Buffalo Sabres Hall of Famer and member of the famed French Connection, passed away suddenly on March 13.

Sean Avery and other members of the New York Rangers leave Derek Boogaard's funeral in Canada in May. The 28-year-old Boogaard's death was caused by a mix of alcohol and the powerful pain killer oxycodone.

Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins raises the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Bruins defeated the Canucks 4-0 in the final game.

A police car burns during the riot in downtown Vancouver after the Canucks lost to the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals.

A man shows compassion for his girlfriend after she was injured trying to get away from the rioting crowds in Vancouver after the Canucks loss in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks poses after winning the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the most goals in the NHL and the Hart Memorial Trophy for league MVP at the 2011 NHL Awards.

Third overall pick Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers, first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers and second overall pick Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche pose on the first day of the NHL draft in June.

Mike Richards of the Los Angeles Kings talks to members of the media during an introductory press conference in July in Los Angeles. In a surprising move, the Flyers traded their captain to the Kings during the offseason.

One of the biggest free agents during the offseason was Brad Richards, who decided to sign with the New York Rangers in July.

The family of the late Rick Rypien stand on the ice during a ceremony honoring him in Vancouver. Rypien's death on Aug. 15 was ruled a suicide.

Wade Belak was found dead in his apartment on Aug. 31. The former NHL player's cause of death has still not been officially determined.

A fan adds a candle to a memorial for the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team killed in a Russian plane crash in September. Several former NHL players were among the 44 people killed in the crash.

The Los Angeles Kings season opener against the Phoenix Coyotes on October 3, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Sidney Crosby scores his first goal of the season after sitting out with a concussion. He returned to NHL action on Nov. 21, almost 11 months after being diagnosed with the injury. On Dec. 5, Crosby was sidelined again by the return of concussion-like symptoms.

Bruce Boudreau fields questions after being named the new coach of the Anaheim Ducks in November. The move came just two days after he was fired by the Washington Capitals.

The New York Rangers' Brandon Prust fights against Philadelphia Flyers' Wayne Simmonds on Nov. 26 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Wayne Gretzky's daughter Paulina poses for a photo from her Twitter account. The NHL offspring caused a stir when she posted "Having a nice sit-down dinner with my dad about social media ... haha," on her account in November before taking a break from the social media site.
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