NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jaromir Jagr isn’t thrilled about the three-on-three format of Sunday’s NHL All-Star Game at Bridgestone Arena (see story).
He campaigned for fans not to vote for him, but he was named Atlantic Division captain.
“I have to be here,” Jagr said. “I was ordered in. I don’t want to be suspended, I don’t want to miss any games. I love the idea of the All-Stars and I think it’s good for our fans.
“But for me personally at my age, I know what I need to do for the rest of the season and maybe the playoffs. During the hockey schedule you really don’t have much time to practice, so I was hoping in those 10 days I would do a lot more to make myself better and actually get stronger. But I don’t have a chance, but that’s OK, I’m not complaining.”
Kane on fire
Patrick Kane is on a sizzling pace, entering Sunday’s NHL All-Star Game.
The Chicago right wing leads the league in points (73), goals (30) and assists (43).
“I think you learn as you go on,” said Kane, captain of the Central Division. “Kind of way to go about playing in the NHL and the style you can play in this league. I’ve kind of trended upward every one of my seasons.
NHL
“I think some people want to talk like this has kind of come out of nowhere this season, which I kind of disagree with. I think it’s been something that’s been in the making for a little bit here. I don’t want to be satisfied with where I’m at or happy about what I’ve done. I want to keep pushing it and try to get better every game or every month or every season.”
Kane already has more points than he did in any of his previous four years with 29 games left in the regular season.
He hopes to be on the same line as Nashville defenseman Shea Weber in Sunday’s showcase that features a three-on-three format. Weber won last year’s hardest shot contest with a 108.5-mph blast.
“I think for me a guy like Weber, who you’re always playing against — tough to play against — obviously has a big shot, so it would be fun to play with him,” Kane said. “But who really knows what’s going to happen?”
Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban knows how fast Weber’s shot is because he’s been hit by at least one.
“Not fun,” said Subban, who will play for the Atlantic Division. “In the shin, right where the most protection was and it still hurt — a lot.”
Subban and Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfuglien figure to give Weber a battle in Saturday’s hardest shot contest during the skills competition.
Country music fan
Count Subban among the players who are enjoying the country music in Nashville.
“This morning (Sports Illustrated senior writer) Michael Farber was walking by and I played some Johnny Cash for him,” Subban said. “He knows all about my Spotify playlist. It was loud. I had some Folsom Prison — live version.”
Triumphant return
Former Predators coach Barry Trotz made a triumphant return to Nashville after leading Washington to the league’s best record at 35-8-4 for 74 points.
Trotz was fired after coaching the Predators from their inception in 1998 to 2014.
“I started on the ground floor with the Preds, so to see them where they are now is great,” the Metropolitan Division coach said. “First five years we were an expansion team. You didn’t know if it was going to make it. Or you were going to be the Hamilton Predators or the Kansas City Predators. I don’t know how many owners we went through.
“But the one thing was the city and the fans and the ownership would not let it go away. And they were a model franchise for a non-traditional market. They’ve got a great team.”
Nashville is hosting the All-Star Game for the first time.
Wary of Blackhawks
Dallas Coach Lindy Ruff has the Stars only three points behind Chicago in the Central Division, but he believes the Blackhawks will be difficult to beat in the postseason.
“Until you can beat them in a series or beat them for that shiny silver thing at the end, then they’re still the best,” said Ruff, the Central Division coach. “We played them one game in [Dallas] and I think we won 4-0. But it was real tight until the start of the third period.
“They’re real comfortable playing a tight game, they’re real comfortable when they’re winning 2-1 or 2-0 and that’s something our team still has to wrap its arms around.”