Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas was named one of the First Six selections for the 2012 NHL All-Star game on Jan. 5. Thomas finished first in the fan vote with 626,540 votes, clobbering second place goalkeeper James Reimer of Toronto by more than 128,000 votes.
All-Star game host Ottawa landed four players on the First Six:
Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson led the voting with 939,951 votes, garnering 42,536 more votes than veteran teammate Daniel Alfredsson, the Ottawa captain. Center Jason Spezza is also among the First Six, joined by surprise addition Milan Michalek, who used a stunning last-day push to oust Toronto's Phil Kessel by 42,144 votes for the final forward spot. (via NHL.com)
Toronto Maple Leafs defender Dion Phaneuf joins Karlsson on the back line in the First Six after picking up 614,933 votes.
Thomas won the Vezina Trophy last season as the NHL's top goaltender. It seems that the fans agree that he is still the best this season. Thomas is 17-6 this season with 1.90 GAA and a .940 save percentage. This will be Thomas' fourth All-Star game.
The 2012 NHL All-Star game will be played at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on Jan. 29 at 4 p.m. on NBC.
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