Tomorrow the NHL will announce the remaining selections for the 2012 All-Star Game. And if Scott Hartnell isn’t among those selections, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette might call the police.
“I’m not lobbying, but it would be criminal for Scott Hartnell not to be on there,” Laviolette said, as per CSNPhilly.com.
“In my opinion, he is the top power forward in the game right now. Based on numbers, based on the season, plus/minus, hits, physical play, goals and assists, you’d have to come up with somebody who’s had a better year than Scott.”
Tough to disagree there – Hartnell has 18 goals, 19 assists and 86 hits. Among NHL forwards with more goals, only Pittsburgh’s James Neal (21G, 15A, 50 hits) is a prototypical power forward.
Be interesting to see if Hartnell makes it. The only Flyer that deserves to be picked more is Claude Giroux, but could Jaromir Jagr get the nod for promotional purposes and force the blue-collar guy out?