GATINEAU, Quebec -- Zdeno Chara went with offense in taking Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk with the No. 1 pick in the NHL All-Star draft. Daniel Alfredsson stuck closer to home, choosing Ottawa Senators defenseman and teammate Erik Karlsson with his club's first selection.
In selecting Datsyuk, the Boston Bruins captain said he loved the player's game.
Selecting Karlsson was no surprise for Alfredsson, after the Senators captain acknowledged last week that his children wanted him to pick the high-scoring defenseman. Karlsson, a fellow Swede, lived with Alfredsson during his rookie season two years ago.
Chara earned the right to choose first by winning the "puck flip" against Alfredsson, his fellow team captain.
The 38 players drafted will be split up in two teams - named for the captains - which will compete in both the skills competition on Saturday and the All-Star game on Sunday.
Phoenix: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says there are three groups showing "serious" interest in buying the Phoenix Coyotes with the intention of keeping the team in Glendale, Ariz.
Without going into detail, Bettman revealed there was a third group during his weekly radio show broadcast from Ottawa, where the league's All-Star Game is being held.
The two groups known to have expressed interest in the Coyotes are one led by former San Jose Sharks president and CEO Greg Jamison, and another by Chicago sports mogul Jerry Reinsdorf.
San Jose: San Jose has acquired forward Tim Kennedy in a trade with Florida that sends defenseman Sean Sullivan to the Panthers.
The Sharks have assigned Kennedy to top development affiliate Worcester in the American Hockey League.
The 25-year-old Kennedy has split the season between Florida and San Antonio of the AHL. He posted two points in 27 games with Florida and nine points with three goals in 18 games for San Antonio.
