Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche n the third period of an NHL hockey game on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Denver. Connor has been added to the roster for the NHL's upcoming All-Star Weekend in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-David Zalubowski
TORONTO – Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor has been added to the roster for the NHL’s upcoming All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
Connor, who will be making his second all-star appearance, leads the Jets with 18 goals despite missing more than a month of action with a knee injury.
He also has 11 assists, giving him 29 points in 28 games.
New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck was also named to the roster.
Trocheck has 15 goals and 29 assists in 46 games this season.
Connor and Trocheck replace injured forwards Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks and Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The 18-year-old Bedard was named to the all-star team after impressive start to his rookie season with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games.
But he sustained a broken jaw in a Dec. 5 game against New Jersey. Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said before his team’s game Monday night at Vancouver that he expects Bedard to miss another six weeks .
Eichel, who has 44 points in 42 games, sustained a lower-body injury on Jan. 11 and is week-to-week after undergoing surgery.
With Eichel out, the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights will not have a representative at All-Star Weekend, which runs Feb. 1-4.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2024.
