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Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand earns first NHL All-Star nod

Oliver Bjorkstrand celebrates his assist to Eeli Tolvanen during the second period against Dallas on Saturday in Seattle. (Getty Images)
Geoff Baker Seattle Times
Oliver Bjorkstrand celebrates his assist to Eeli Tolvanen during the second period against Dallas on Saturday in Seattle. (Getty Images)

SEATTLE – Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, second on the team in goals, assists and points, was selected Thursday to play in his first NHL All-Star Game next month in Toronto.

Bjorkstrand, 28, who had a slow start a season ago before finishing strong, has been instrumental in keeping the Kraken’s offense afloat this campaign amid some team-wide struggles the opening months. His 11 goals, 18 assists and 29 points are all on-pace for career highs while his 12 points on the power play are tied with Vince Dunn for the team lead.

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews will represent the home team in the game as will Chicago Blackhawks’ rookie Connor Bedard, highlighting the 32 players selected by the league to play in the Feb. 3 contest. Fans will select the final 12 players — eight skaters and four goalies — in the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote running through Jan. 11.

Bjorkstrand is one of seven players making his first all-star appearance and the third Kraken player ever chosen, coming after Matty Beniers last season — who didn’t play because of a concussion — and Jordan Eberle in the team’s debut campaign. The former Portland Winterhawks junior star was drafted by Columbus in the third round (89th overall) in 2013 and played for the Blue Jackets until being traded to the Kraken in a July 2022 salary dump for third and fourth round picks.

He’ll be the third native of Denmark to play in an All-Star Game, joining goalie Frederik Andersen and forward Frans Nielsen.

This is the record ninth time Toronto has hosted an All-Star Game and the first since 2000, when ScotiaBank Arena had just opened as the Air Canada Centre to replace the venerable Maple Leaf Gardens. Toronto hosted the first NHL all-star event of any kind with a 1934 benefit fundraiser to raise money for Maple Leafs’ forward Ace Bailey — who’d suffered a career-ending injury.

The first official All-Star Game was in 1947 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto when the Stanley Cup champion played a squad of top players from the five other teams at the time.