"It's an honor to be named captain of an all-star team, and to be selected by the fans makes it that much more special," the Edmonton Oilers center said.
McDavid was one of four captains named Saturday following the 2020 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by adidas, which ended Friday. David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins was named captain of the Atlantic Division and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche was named captain of the Central Division. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals was named captain of the Metropolitan Division but has said he will not play.
McDavid, who led the NHL with 61 points (21 goals, 40 assists) in 39 games, will play in his fourth All-Star Game. He was captain of the Pacific when it won the event in 2018.
Pastrnak will be an All-Star Game captain for the first time and will play in his second consecutive NHL All-Star Game. The Bruins forward led the NHL with 28 goals, and had 51 points (28 goals, 23 assists) in 37 games.
"Obviously I appreciate the support from the fans," Pastrnak said. "A huge honor. It would be more sweeter with a win today."
MacKinnon was also voted captain of the Central Division for the 2019 All-Star Game. Though he was injured and did not play, MacKinnon did attend the game. This will be his second time as an All-Star captain, and it will be his fourth All-Star Game appearance. The Avalanche forward was third in the NHL with 53 points (21 goals, 32 assists) in 36 games.
Ovechkin was voted captain of the Metropolitan Division for a third straight season. The Capitals forward also didn't play in the 2019 All-Star Game, and in 2018 the Metropolitan lost in the semifinals. Ovechkin was third in the NHL with 22 goals this season and 12th in League history with 680, four behind Teemu Selanne (684) for 11th.
"Thanks, first of all, fans for voting me (as captain)," Ovechkin said Dec. 27, when he annouced he would not play. "It's a hard decision, but I have to listen to my body. I have to get ready for the second half of the year. I have to be healthy and focus on different things. It's a hard decision, obviously, being the captain and missing the All-Star Game, but have to do [what's] best for me and for my team."
The 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend will again consist of a three-game tournament, played in a 3-on-3 format, featuring four teams, one for each NHL division. Each team will be made up of 11 players from the division: six forwards, three defensemen and two goalies.
The remaining players will be determined by the NHL Hockey Operations Department.
The coach of the team with the highest points percentage (points earned divided by total possible points) in each of the four divisions at the halfway point of the regular season will coach the respective All-Star teams.
