NEW YORK – Russia's Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals earned his sixth selection to the National Hockey League All-Star first team when voting was announced Wednesday. Ovechkin switched to right wing this season, having been picked as a left wing in his previous five selections, and becomes only the second player to make the team at multiple positions. Hall of Famer Mark Messier was a first-team All-Star as a left wing (1980-81, 1981-82) and twice as a center (1989-90, 1991-92). Ovechkin, who won his third Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player, was surprisingly also named as a second-team All-Star Wednesday, in the left-wing role. Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby was named as the first-team All-Star center for a second time after winning the Ted Lindsay Award for most valuable player, as voted on by his peers. NHL All-Star first team: Goaltender – Sergei Bobrovsky (Columbus Blue Jackets); defensemen – P.K. Subban (Montreal Canadiens) and Ryan Suter (Minnesota Wild); right wing – Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals); center – Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins); left wing – Chris Kunitz (Pittsburgh Penguins). Voting for the teams is done by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in a poll taken at the end of the regular season. Lecavalier boosts then bolts NHL free-agent class Vincent Lecavalier, Danny Briere and Ilya Bryzgalov have injected some more intrigue into NHL free agency. Lecavalier kicked off the annual signing period Tuesday, three days before it officially began, by signing a multiyear contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Lecavalier unexpectedly became available after the Tampa Bay Lightning bought out the contract of their 33-year-old captain last week. The Flyers did the same by cutting ties with Briere, a 35-year-old forward, and Bryzgalov, a 33-year-old goaltender. Lecavalier, who also spoke with Boston over the weekend, didn't mesh with Tampa Bay's plans, or at least his contract didn't with seven years and $45 million remaining on it. By buying out the player they selected No. 1 in the 1998 draft, the Lightning saved more than $7.7 million cap space for the upcoming season. The move cost them $32 million over 14 years because he is due two-thirds the value of his deal spread over twice the term of the contract. Now, it's time for teams that missed out on Lecavalier to re-evaluate their plans. Free agent forward Nathan Horton, who helped Boston to the Stanley Cup final, is planning to visit with suitors over the next few days. And Briere is expected to explore his options by phone. Briere's agent, Pat Brisson, said about 15 teams already contacted him to express an interest, and his client is looking forward to a fresh start with a Stanley Cup-contending franchise. “He still has a lot in his tank,” Brisson said. “So it's an opportunity for him.” — Agencies
