ALL-STAR COLLECTION OF TALENT SET FOR SELECTION IN 2012 MOLSON CANADIAN NHL ALL-STAR PLAYER FANTASY DRAFT

NEW YORK/TORONTO (January 25, 2012) -- Fifty of the best hockey players in the world -- 38 NHL All-Stars and 12 of the League's top rookies -- will be up for selection this week in the
2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft TM , the format of which was announced by the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) today. The Draft will be televised on TSN and RDS in Canada and NBC Sports Network in the United States on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m., ET, from the Hilton Lac Leamy in Gatineau-Ottawa, Quebec.

The 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft TM will divide the All-Stars and rookies into two teams for the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa, Jan. 26-29: Team Alfredsson, led by captain Daniel Alfredsson of the All-Star host Ottawa Senators and his assistant captain Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers; and Team Chara, featuring captain Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and his assistant captain Joffrey Lupul of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The teams will compete in the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills CompetitionTM, at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m., ET, and the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL® All-Star Game, at Scotiabank Place on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 4 p.m., ET. Live television coverage of both events will be provided by CBC and RDS in Canada and NBC Sports Network in the United States.

2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft TM Format

A coin toss will decide first pick, with Alfredsson and Chara, joined by their assistant captains, alternately drafting the 38 remaining All-Stars through 19 rounds. Each team will consist of three goaltenders, six defensemen and 12 forwards. To ensure that the final draft picks are true selections and not simply predetermined due to position requirements, each team’s three goalies must be picked by the end of Round 10 and each team’s six defensemen must be picked by the conclusion of Round 15.

The 12 Rookies participating in the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition will be divided by the National Hockey League into two groups of six. At the completion of the 15th round of the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft, one NHL Rookie will be selected to choose which All-Star team his group will join for the skills competition.

The NHL Foundation and the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund each will donate $10,000 on behalf of the All-Star selected with the final pick of the Draft to the grassroots hockey program of his choice.