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NHL MORNING SKATE – JAN. 26, 2019

McDAVID BECOMES FIRST THREE-TIME FASTEST SKATER WINNER Connor McDavid (13.378 seconds) recorded the fastest lap in the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater to become the first three-time winner of the event, with all of his victories coming in the last three seasons. Only four other players have captured the title on multiple occasions: Sergei Fedorov (1992 and 1994), (1993 and 1996), Peter Bondra (1997 and 1999), Sami Kapanen (2000 and 2002) and Scott Niedermayer (1998 and 2004).

ICYMI: With chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A” thundering through the arena, of the U.S. Women’s National Team – who took the place of Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon because of a bruised foot – skated a lap of 14.346 seconds to become the first women’s player to compete in an NHL All-Star skills event.

MORE ALL-STARS SHINE AT ANNUAL SKILLS EVENT

* For the second consecutive season, Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau (27.045 seconds) topped the field in the Gatorade NHL Puck Control to become the lone player to win the event since its debut in 2018.

* Rangers goaltender , who at 36 years, 329 days was the oldest player participating in the 2019 SAP NHL All-Star Skills, turned aside 12 consecutive Atlantic Division shooters to claim the Ticketmaster NHL Save Streak title. Lundqvist ranks sixth all-time with 446 career regular-season wins after surpassing the legendary Terry Sawchuk last week.

* Capitals forward John Carlson was crowned with the SAP NHL Hardest title after a top score of 102.8 MPH. Carlson, who ranks fourth among defensemen with 8-39—47 this season, led all blueliners with 15-53—68 in 2017-18 en route to helping the Capitals capture the franchise’s first championship.

* David Pastrnak, who leads the Bruins with 27 goals this season, won the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting by hitting all five targets in a time of 11.309 seconds.

* Oilers forward won the Enterprise NHL Premier Passer event with a time of 1:09.088.

DID YOU KNOW? Four players 25 years of age or younger – all of whom are averaging more than a per game this season – won a skills challenge: Connor McDavid, (age 22), David Pastrnak (age 22), Leon Draisaitl (age 23) and Johnny Gaudreau (age 25). Overall, 41 players are averaging at least one point per game this season (min. 25 GP), including 19 who are age 25 or younger (46.3%).

* The last NHL campaign to enter the All-Star Game with as many players averaging at least one point per game (min. 25 GP) was 1995-96 (41).

LEAGUE’S BEST SET FOR THE 3-ON-3 TOURNAMENT AT SAP CENTER Players and fans will gather again tonight at SAP Center for the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game, a 3-on-3 tournament divided into three 20-minute contests featuring four divisional teams: Atlantic, Central, Metropolitan and Pacific. The host Pacific Division will take on the Central Division in the first semifinal, followed by the Metropolitan Division against the Atlantic Division in the second semifinal.

* Playing on home soil in San Jose, the Pacific Division aim for a fourth consecutive appearance in the final (and second straight title). The Pacific has won the million-dollar prize twice under the current format, claiming the championship at the inaugural event in Nashville in 2016 and again last year in Tampa.

* Defenseman - one of three Sharks on this year’s Pacific roster (also Joe Pavelski and ) - has been part of both title-winning teams, as have fellow 2019 All-Stars and Johnny Gaudreau. Devils forward , who was originally slated to represent the Metropolitan Division again this year before being injured, is the only other player to win the event more than once (Pacific in 2016, Metropolitan in 2017).

* The Pacific Division has claimed its titles by making a habit of fast starts in All-Star games, with Sharks Pavelski holding the three-on-three record for fastest to start a game.

* Gaudreau leads all players with 18 overtime points in the regular-season since the League adopted the three-on-three overtime format in 2015-16.

* Karlsson, meanwhile, leads all 2019 All-Stars and ranks second among all NHL players in Time on Ice in overtime since 2015-16.

NHL ANNOUNCES PLAYER AND PUCK TRACKING FOR 2019-20 SEASON The next phase in the NHL’s Puck and Player tracking evolution was announced on Friday at the 2019 NHL All-Star Innovation Spotlight presented by SAP in San Jose. The League announced it is officially partnering with jogmo world to deploy Puck and Player technology in all 31 NHL arenas at some point during the 2019-20 season. Click here for more information.

QUICK CLICKS

* MUST SEE: pays tribute to teammate and Sharks legend Patrick Marleau * Nathan MacKinnon out of All-Star Game with bruised foot * Gary Bettman, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews talk technology at Apple Campus * Elias Pettersson playing big role in youthful takeover * NHL Kid Reporter Wyatt delivered hard-hitting questions for NHL Network during Media Day