Eurolanche

Duchene selected to the All-Star Game

Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene has been selected to represent the Avalanche at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game, the league announced today. Duchene will make his second career All-Star Game appearance when the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game takes place on Sunday, Jan. 31 in Nashville (3:00 p.m. MT, NBCSN). Duchene, 24, participated in the 2011 All-Star Game in Raleigh, N.C., scoring a goal while also attempting the first penalty shot in All-Star Game history. Duchene, who turned 20 just two weeks before that game, became the youngest Avalanche player to ever participate in an NHL All-Star Game and the second-youngest in franchise history behind Owen Nolan (19 years, 340 days in 1992).

"I'm obviously excited,” said Duchene. “It's a big honor and I'm very happy to represent my teammates and my organization."

Duchene leads the Avalanche in points (33-tied), goals (18), power-play tallies (6), faceoff percentage (56.1%) and takeaways (26) while appearing in all 40 games this season. He ranks second on the club in game-winning goals (3-tied) and shots (108). Duchene, who will turn 25 on Jan. 16, was named the NHL's Third Star for the month of November. He led all NHL players with 11 goals that month, breaking the Avalanche record for goals in November (10) set by Claude Lemieux in 1995. The Haliburton, Ontario, native finished second among all players with 20 points (11g/9a) in 14 contests, setting a career high for points in a single month. He was the first Avs player to record 20 points in November since Joe Sakic (22) in 2000-01. Duchene was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week for Nov. 9-15.

Selected by Colorado in the first round (third overall) of the 2009 Entry Draft, Duchene has recorded 351 points (144g/207a) in 459 career games. He already ranks 11th on the franchise’s all-time points list and recently passed Dale Hunter (142) for 10th place in goals.

The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game will be transformed into a 3-on-3 All-Star Tournament among players from each division. The new format will divide the All-Star Game into three 20-minute games, with players from each division making up the four All-Star teams: Pacific, Central, Atlantic and Metropolitan. The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star celebration will include the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday, Jan. 30, and the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Tournament on Sunday, Jan. 31, where players will face off in a winner-take-all $1 million inter-division tournament.

-- Avalanche Press Release --