WASHINGTON — Washington Capitals’ Head Coach Todd Reirden will coach the Metropolitan Divisions team for the NHL All-Star Game Jan. 26 in San Jose, California, the National Hockey League announced Saturday.
Reirden, in his first season at the helm for the Capitals, will be joined by Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper of the Atlantic Division, the Winnipeg Jets’ Paul Maurice of the Central Division and the Calgary Flames’ Bill Peters of the Pacific division.
Reirden and the other three coaches earned the selection due to their teams having the highest points percentage — or points earned by total possible points — in all four divisions through Jan. 5, the mid way point of the regular season.
The Capitals are 24-12-4 as of Saturday and tied for first place in the division with Pittsburgh (points-wise).
The Caps will also send defenseman John Carlson and goalie Braden Holtby to San Jose for the All Star game festivities.
Alex Ovechkin announced earlier that he is skipping the All-Star Game to take advantage of the Caps’ bye week following the game, which will give him more rest going into the second half of the season. The cost for Ovechkin missing the game means he will have to sit out a game adjacent to either side of the All-Star break, meaning he must sit out the Jan. 23 road game against the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Feb. 1 home game against the Pacific Division-leading Flames.
