Get to know these All-Stars

by Robert Picarello

Updated: January 27, 2008, 4:59 PM EST 1 comment

Non-household names such as Mike Richards, Tim Thomas, Jason Spezza, Rick DiPietro and Evgeni Malkin will make their All-Star debuts for the Eastern Conference, while Duncan Keith, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Anze Kopitar, Shawn Horcoff and Mike Ribeiro suit up for the first time in their careers for the Western Conference.

Eight of these 11 players are 26 or younger, seven are 24 or younger and five are 22 or younger. Pittsburgh's Malkin (21) is the youngest representative from the East, and L.A.'s Kopitar (20) will be youngest participant from the West.

To get you up to speed on some of these unfamiliar All-Stars who will be taking part in the 56th mid-season classic, let's take a closer look at each one.

Mike Richards, Flyers

Mike Richards doesn't get as much ink as he deserves in Philly with players such as Daniel Briere, Simon Gagne and Marty Biron on the roster. But all the 22-year-old has done this year is lead the team in goals (21), assists (34), points (55), power-play points (26), power-play assists (19), plus/minus (plus-14), shorthanded goals (4) and shots (131).

Philly's former first-round pick from the 2003 NHL Entry Draft (24th overall) also ranked first on the team at the break in average time on ice among forwards (21:43) and was tied for first on the team in game-winning goals (5). Richards posted a 34-point increase over his first 43 contests last season (from 4-10-14 in 2006-07 to 20-28-48 in 2007-08), the biggest such gain among all NHL players.

"He's a big-game player ... a very humble individual," Flyers coach John Stevens said. "He's got great team values, and that's one of the reasons he is a permanent assistant captain. To see a guy like Richie (named to the All-Star team), who like all of us had a frustrating year last year, he's come out and really been sensational all year. I think it's going to be a huge thrill for him. As his coach, we're proud of him."

Tim Thomas, Bruins

Without Tim Thomas between the pipes in the first half of the 2007-08 season, there's no way the Bruins would still be in the playoff picture in the East. The first-time NHL All-Star enters the break with a 16-11-3 record in 33 games. Thomas heads to Atlanta having won his last three starts, finishing off the first half of the year by stopping 28 of the 29 shots he faced in a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders.

The 217th overall pick from in 1994 Entry Draft has allowed two-goals-or-less in 19 of his 30 complete games on the season (12-5-2 record) and has allowed just one goal in 12 of those games (10-1-1 record). The 33-year-old netminder has faced 30-or-more shots in 18 of his 30 complete games overall (11-6-1 record) and has faced 40-plus shots on four occasions (2-2-0), facing a season-high 52 shots on Nov. 17 against Montreal.

Tim Thomas is one to watch. (Elsa / Getty Images)

The Flint, Mich., native has had two three-game winning streaks this season. Last year, Thomas started 62 of the 66 games he appeared in for the Bruins, posting a 30-29-4 record with a 3.13 GAA, a .905 save percentage and three shutouts.

"He's done a lot this year, not only for himself, but for his team," Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien said. "I think he's been one of the big reasons for our success. Especially when our team probably hasn't been at its best, he's kept us in a lot of games. Does he deserve to be there? I think he does."

Jason Spezza, Senators

While Jason Spezza has been putting up points for some time now, he gets lost in the shuffle in Ottawa because of snipers like Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson — especially when it comes to All-Star voting time. In 290 games in his career, the Senators former first-round pick has 311 points off 100 goals and 211 assists. In just his third NHL campaign, Spezza netted a career-high 90 points off 19 goals and 71 assists. His 71 helpers assists during the 2005-06 season set a franchise record and was second in the league to Hart Trophy winner Joe Thornton (96) that year.

This year, Spezza has 18 multi-point games, his last coming right before the break when he registered three points (2G, 1A) in a 8-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. In December, Spezza was named the NHL's Player of the Month, posting a 10-game point streak from Dec. 12-29 with nine goals and 11 assists. Last season, the Mississauga, Ontario native recorded a career-high 34 goals and finished the regular season second on the club in scoring with 87 points.

"(Spezza) is still on the rise in his career, despite what he's done and how many points he's produced. He's still going to get better. That's a great thing for us," said Ottawa Senators head coach John Paddock.

Rick DiPietro, Islanders

It took some time, but Rick DiPietro has finally come into his own. The Islanders had so much confidence in DiPietro's abilities that they used the first-overall pick at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft to nab the future all-star. The team also traded away a franchise goalie in Roberto Luongo that year at the draft to make room for the up-and-coming puck-stopper.

DiPietro made his NHL debut in 2000-01 season winning only three games in 20 tries for New York. But in the years that followed, the Winthrop, Mass., native improved his game so much that he is now one of the game's best between the pipes. The 26-year-old put up monster numbers last season for the Isles, posting a 32-19-9 record with a 2.58 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. Even though he was limited to 62 games because of injuries, DiPietro still recorded a career high in victories and tied the franchise record previously shared by Hall of Famer Billy Smith (1981-82) and Chris Osgood (2001-02), becoming the first goaltender in franchise history to post 30 or more victories in consecutive seasons.

On Nov. 19 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, DiPietro earned his 100th NHL victory, joining former Islander greats Billy Smith, Glen "Chico" Resch and Kelly Hrudey in that distinguished club. At 26, DiPietro was the youngest of the four to reach the mark.

"People have to just watch our team play one time and they'll know that Rick is an All-Star. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be in a lot of games," Islanders coach Ted Nolan said. "Rick does it all for us. Not only is he our number one goaltender, he's a leader in the room. He competes hard and loves the game. Rick is energetic and athletic.

"He's everything you want from an All-Star ... I don't know anybody else more deserving (to be an All-Star). We wouldn't be in a position we're in right now if it wasn't for the play of Ricky. Now the rest of the hockey world will see how important he is to our club and how talented he really is."

Evgeni Malkin, Penguins

One would think that a player that was taken with the second overall pick just four short years ago would be a household NHL name by now — especially after having immediate success in the league — but that hasn't been the case with Evgeni Malkin. The 21-year-old superstar plays in the shadow of Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, the game's best player. So almost every great on-ice achievement by Malkin takes a backseat to Crosby's heroics.

Malkin burst onto the NHL scene last season, becoming the first player in 89 years to score goals in each of his first six NHL games. Before Malkin, only three players in the history of the league had tallied at least one goal in each of their first six (or more) games and all did so in 1917-18, the League's inaugural season. Malkin went on to lead all rookies in points (85) goals (33), assists (52) and power-play goals (16), capturing the Calder Trophy as the League's top rookie.

This year, the Russian native leads the Penguins in goals (27), shots (155) and power-play goals (9), ranks third in assists (30), and second on the team in points (57). From Oct. 23-Nov. 22, Malkin collected a point in 15 straight games, the longest points streak by a Russian player in NHL history.

With Crosby bowing out of the All-Star Game because of an injury, Malkin will get a chance to show the hockey world what the other Penguin can do.

"He is an All-Star in this league," Penguins teammate Petr Sykora said. "He's a top-five forward in this league, not to mention in this conference. There's a lot of good players, but in my mind, Geno's a complete player. He's not just a scorer. He can do everything. He can create. He can skate. He's not afraid to go through traffic. He hits. He plays good defensively."

Duncan Keith, Blackhawks

While Duncan Keith might not pile up all the sexy stats like all the other defensemen on the All-Star rosters, just watch him play and you'll see why he was selected to play in the 2008 star-studded contest. Keith is a durable backliner, who logs tons of icetime every game, keeps the opposition at bay in his end and chips in occasionally on offense in the opposition's end. In the last three NHL seasons, Keith has only missed one game.

Duncan Keith has been making people take notice in Chicago. (Phillip MacCallum / Getty Images)

Heading into the All-Star break, the Winnipeg native led all Chicago players in average ice time per-game this season. Should he continue to do so, it would mark the third straight season that he has led the Blackhawks in average TOI. In his rookie season with the 'Hawks, Keith led all Chicago defenders in goals (9), shots (134) and games played (81), was third in points and assists with 21 and 12 respectively.

Last season, Keith, who was the 54th overall pick at the 2002 Entry Draft, played in all 82 games, leading club defensemen in points (31), assists (29) and average minutes (23:35). This year, he was first amongst Chicago defensemen in average ice time (24:53), second in points (17) and assists (12) and was third in goals (5) and shots (77).

"He has been an unbelievable asset to our organization," Chicago GM Dave Tallon. "He's turned into quite a player. He's worked extremely hard to get to where he's at and he's still improving."

Ryan Getzlaf, Ducks

While Ryan Getzlaf will be competing in his first NHL All-Star game, the enormity of the event shouldn't rattle the 22-year-old forward. Last season, the Regina, Sask., native not only appeared in the YoungStars Game in Dallas, where he netted back-to-back goals 84 seconds apart in the third period for the West, he also helped Anaheim win its first Cup championship by leading the Ducks in postseason scoring. Getzlaf's 17 playoff points (7G, 10A) were a franchise record, but the youngster didn't only turn it on last year during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Getzlaf was one of only eight Anaheim players to dress for every regular season game. At the conclusion of the 2006-07 season, he ranked fifth on the Ducks in goals (25) and was tied for second in power play goals (11). He ended his second campaign with 58 points, establishing single-season career highs for goals, assists, points and power-play goals. He also is the only active NHL player 22-or-younger with at least 20 playoff points.

Right before the break, Getzlaf saw his career-high 15-game point streak, which was the second-longest point streak in franchise history, come to an end in a 3-1 loss to the Kings. His 58 points, 39 assists, 25 power play points and 21 power play assists were tops on the Ducks after 53 games.

"The sky is the limit with Ryan Getzlaf," Anaheim GM Brian Burke said. "Because of the unique package to be that skilled but still be that big and have that top-end speed and have that power, we really think he can do what he wants to do in this league ... I think he's an important part of our future."

Corey Perry, Ducks

Perry is another player from the defending Stanley Cup champions whose star is on the rise. Teaming up on a line with Getzlaf, Perry put up career numbers during the regular season last year for Anaheim, then the 22-year-old turned up his game a notch when the postseason rolled around. In 82 regular season matches, Perry posted 44 points off 17 goals and 27 assists. In 21 postseason games, Perry ranked second on the Ducks in scoring behind Getzlaf, registering 15 points off six goals and nine assists.

This year, Perry is the club's leading goal scorer, netting 26 goals in 53 games, 10 of which came on the power play. The 28th overall selection in the 2003 draft was second on the club in points with 45 and third on the team in assists with 19. Before the break, the Ontario native had points in eight of his last 11 games (8G, 6A), including goals in six of the 11 contests. Along with Crosby and Malkin, Perry and Getzlaf are the only other NHL duo aged 22 and younger to have 19-plus goals apiece this season.

"Corey Perry is a guy that gets into the dirty areas. He has a tremendous amount of skill around the net," Ducks' coach Randy Carlyle said. "He will stand up and fight for himself, and for his teammates. He's a scrappy player. He's hard to play against, and he can burn you in a lot of ways."

Anze Kopitar, Kings

At 20 years old, Anze Kopitar has a whole lot of hockey and goals left in him. In his first NHL season, Kopitar lit up the opposition for 61 points in 72 games, becoming the first Kings' rookie to reach 60 points in a season since Luc Robitaille notched a franchise-record 84 points in 1986-87. His 20 goals and 41 assists ranked him third on the Kings in scoring and third among NHL rookies, and his 20:32 TOI average was tops in the NHL amongst all rookie forwards.

This season, the former first-round pick (11th overall) of the 2005 Entry Draft was the Kings points, assists and power play points leader, registering 46 points, 27 helpers and 24 power play points in 51 games. Also at the break, Kopitar was ranked second on L.A. in goals (19), power play assists (15), shorthanders (2) and power play goals (9). Before heading off to Atlanta, Kopitar led the Kings to a win over the Ducks, netting one goal in the team's a 3-1 victory over Anaheim. His lone tally gave him eight points in his last 10 games (3G, 5A), 28 points in the last 31 games (11G, 17A) and 32 points in the last 36 games (14G, 18A).

"He's our most dangerous player on most nights," Kings coach Marc Crawford said. "He's really reliable for such a young age and what a competitor. He really likes to challenge opponents one-on-one ... and he wins most of those battles. In baseball, the experts like to talk about the elite players in the game being five-tool players (referring to those who can hit, run, hit for power, play defense and can throw). Well, Anze is already a five-tool player in our game."

Shawn Horcoff, Oilers

It's taken Shawn Horcoff five years to get back to All-Star weekend. The last time the seven-year NHL veteran appeared at an NHL All-Star game was back in the 2002-03 season when he replaced an injured Ales Hemsky at the YoungStars Game in Florida. The Edmonton center heads to Atlanta playing some of the best hockey of his career, leading the Oilers in points (50), goals (21) and power play points (16) at the break. Horcoff was also the Oilers' second-leading player in assists (29), power-play goals (6) and power-play helpers (10).

In the 2005-06 season, the 99th overall pick of the 1998 Entry Draft recorded career highs in points (73), goals (22) and assists (51). As long as he stays healthy in the second half, Horcoff should be able to shatter those career-best marks. In a 4-0 win on Jan. 7 over the Islanders, Horcoff became the 15th player in Oilers history to reach the century mark in career goals when he beat New York's Rick DiPietro at 6:31 of the second period. Heading into the second half, Horcoff is tied with Jason Arnott for 14th place on the Oilers all-time goal-scoring list.

"He worked himself into the position he's in now, an all-star," Edmonton winger Ethan Moreau said. "That's a pretty good story. He has skill. He's a good player. But the thing that takes him to the next level is work ethic."

Mike Ribeiro, Stars

Mike Ribeiro has been leading the way all year in Dallas. For the 27-year-old, getting named to play in this year's All-Star is a well-deserved reward, as the center has already surpassed his career-high for goals in the first half of the season. As a matter of fact, the eight-year NHL veteran was leading the Stars in just about every offensive category at the break, ranking first in points (54), goals (22) and assists (32) after the team's first 53 games. He was also the team's plus/minus leader (plus-13) and the league's shooting percentage leader, registering 22 goals on 71 shots (31 percent).

Ribeiro's 54 points after 53 games placed him in a tie for the fourth-most by a player at the 53-game mark since the franchise relocated to Dallas. Only three players in Stars history have tallied more goals through the club's first 50 games than Ribeiro: Mike Modano (1993-94, 28, and 2001-02, 27); Brett Hull (2000-01, 27) and Jere Lehtinen (2005-06, 24).

"I feel it's my forte to understand what a player is capable of, and I don't see a decline," Dallas co-GM Brett Hull said of Ribeiro. "I don't see this as a one-hit wonder type of season. The kid is skilled, he's increased his condition and strength from last year, and that will only get better."