Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns Named All-Stars For San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks will have two representatives for the 2016 NHL All-Star game that will take place on Sunday, Jan. 31 in Nashville. Captain Joe Pavelski and defenseman Brent Burns were both selected to represent the Pacific Division team as the All-Star game is switching to a new format.

This season, the All-Stars will participate in a three-game, three-on-three tournament that will feature teams comprised of each NHL division. It’s quite a stark contrast from the normal game format, but it doesn’t really matter what happens because there will always be people wanting to make the game look more competitive.

Here’s a full breakdown of the All-Stars who will be joining Pavelski and Burns in Nashville for the 2016 game via Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo.

For Pavelski, this will be his first All-Star appearance and it’s a very deserving honor for the first-year captain of the Sharks. Pavelski leads San Jose in goals (20) and points (38) and ranks second on the team with a plus-six rating.

Furthermore, Pavelski leads the entire NHL with seven game-winning goals, ranks fourth in power-play points with 16, sixth in goals with 20 and is tied for ninth with 38 points. He’s done everything and more to try to keep the Sharks afloat throughout this season.

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He was recently named as the Sharks Foundation Player of the Month for his play during the month of December.

Burns will be making his third overall appearance in the All-Star game and his second consecutive as a member of the Sharks. His selection to the team is purely based on his offensive capabilities as he leads all NHL defensemen with 17 power-play points and 16 goals, while ranking third with 34 points. Also, he leads all San Jose players with more than 26 minutes of ice time.

However, Burns has struggled in his own zone as he has one of the worst plus/minus ratings in the league at minus-15.

Pavelski and Burns will be joined by a familiar face as former teammate John Scott will serve as captain of the Pacific Division team after being selected by the fans. I’m sure he will keep Pavelski and Burns together on the same team, so maybe Scott will be the third member in a mini reunion of sorts.

Next: Raffi Torres Uncertain About Future

The 2016 All-Star Weekend will begin on Jan. 30 at 4 p.m. PST with the skills competition, with the game being held the next afternoon at 2 p.m. All the events from the All-Star weekend will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.