NEW YORK – Tim Thomas, the Boston Bruins’ goalie, Toronto defenseman Dion Phaneuf and four Ottawa Senators are assured of spots in the NHL All-Star game this month.
Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson led all vote-getters in fan balloting, and captain Daniel Alfredsson, and fellow forwards Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza also were elected for the Jan. 29 game.
The four Senators hold the top four spots on the club’s scoring list, with Spezza leading the way with 40 points, three more than Karlsson. But Karlsson topped everyone in the league with 939,951 votes, 42,536 more than Alfredsson.
Michalek got his spot with a late rush, beating out Phil Kessel of Toronto by 42,144 votes. Kessel had been in line for a place in the starting lineup all during the voting period.
About 24 million votes were cast by fans from Nov. 14 until Jan. 4 in the all-digital balloting, a 66 percent increase over last season.
It is the third-highest total since voting went to an exclusive digital format in 2007.
Missing from the initial list of stars are Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos, who leads the NHL with 27 goals, along with Rangers forward Marian Gaborik, Kessel, Jonathan Toews of Chicago, and Pittsburgh’s James Neal — the next four top goal scorers ahead of Michalek.
None of the NHL’s top 10 point scorers this season were voted into the game by fans. Spezza is tied for 11th in scoring with 40 points.
The remaining 36 All-Stars will be chosen later this month, and the two rosters will be determined for a second straight year by the fantasy draft during All-Star weekend. Each team will have 12 forwards, six defensemen and three goalies.
Phaneuf will join the 21-year-old Karlsson on defense after garnering 614,933 votes.
The Senators nearly got a fifth starter, but Phaneuf with 614,933 votes edged Ottawa defenseman Sergei Gonchar by 11,305 for the final spot on the blue line.
Thomas, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner from the defending Stanley Cup champions, easily won the goalie race with 626,540 votes, 128,000 more than James Reimer of Toronto.
Thomas set the NHL record for save percentage last season with a mark of .938, and is having another impressive season for the Bruins.
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