The two centers will represent the Lightning in this year's All-Star Game, while rookie Jonathan Drouin has been invited to participate in the Skills Competition.
Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson will both be representing the Lightning at this year’s 60th NHL All-Star Game the league announced Saturday night. Forward Jonathan Drouin has been selected to participate in the event's Skills Competition along with five other rookies.
This will mark Stamkos’ third appearance in the weekend-long event (2011, 2012), while it will be Johnson’s first.
Although the Lightning had plenty of talented variety to offer, both players have been vital to Tampa Bay's success so far this season that right now places the team first in the Eastern Conference. Stammer is currently tied for third in the league in scoring with 22 goals, while Johnny leads the Lightning in scoring with 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists). Drouin, who won't be skating in the game, has had a decent performance so far with 17 points (2 goals, 15 assists), placing fourth among all rookies.
Stamkos has stayed consistent as the Bolts' primary first line scorer and Johnson has made a name for himself in his sophomore season on the team's second line. Along with wingers Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat, the line has been one of the most offensively dangerous trios in the NHL, combining for 118 points so far.
In 2011, Stamkos participated in the fastest skater and hardest shot contests in the Skills Competition and scored a goal in the game. In 2012, he was a part of the accuracy shooting and elimination shootout contests and recorded an assist, but missed a penalty shot.
The 24-year-old Johnson becomes the third youngest undrafted player in NHL history to ever be selected to an All-Star Game. The most recent youngest player was defenseman Steve Duchesne (23 years old) who represented the Los Angeles Kings in 1989 on the Campbell Conference team.
The events will take place on the weekend of January 23-25 in Columbus, OH at Nationwide Arena.