Nathan MacKinnon named Central Division captain for 2022 NHL All-Star Game

For the third consecutive time, Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon will serve as the Central Division captain in an NHL All-Star Game.

The 2022 event is Feb. 5 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Avs defenseman Cale Makar was also selected as an All-Star and Colorado forward Nazem Kadri is a candidate to become the “last man in” from fan voting.

MacKinnon also wore the “C” in 2019 and 2020. There was no ASG last season. He and Joe Sakic (2004) are the only Avalanche players to serve as event captains.

It will be the fifth consecutive All-Star appearance for MacKinnon, the third-longest in club history behind Sakic (eight, 1990-98) and Peter Forsberg (six, 1996-2001).

The three other captains next month will be Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (Pacific Division), Alex Ovechkin (Metropolitan) and Auston Matthews (Atlantic).

U.S. Olympians. Denver native and former University of Denver forward Nick Shore was named to the U.S. Olympic team, along with Avalanche prospect Drew Helleson. The roster was released by USA Hockey on Thursday.

Shore, 29, played 299 NHL games until 2020 when he began a European career. He’s currently playing for Novosibirsk Sibir of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia.

Helleson, 20, is a junior defenseman at Boston College. The Avs selected him in the second round (47th overall) in the 2019 draft.