GATINEAU, Quebec (AP) — Zdeno Chara went with offense in taking Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk with the No. 1 pick in the NHL All-Star draft. Daniel Alfredsson stuck closer to home, choosing Ottawa Senators defenseman and teammate Erik Karlsson with his club’s first selection.
In selecting Datsyuk, the Boston Bruins captain said he loved the player’s game.
Selecting Karlsson was no surprise for Alfredsson, after the Senators captain acknowledged last week that his children wanted him to pick the high-scoring defenseman. Karlsson, a fellow Swede, lived with Alfredsson during his rookie season two years ago.
Chara earned the right to choose first by winning the “puck flip” against Alfredsson, his fellow team captain.
The 38 players drafted will be split up in two teams — named for the captains — which will compete in both the skills competition on Saturday and the All-Star game on Sunday.
