"Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash was named to play in the NHL All-Star Game this month in Raleigh, N.C., the NHL announced this morning. The selection is his fourth consecutive and fifth of his career.

"It's fun to go represent the city, the organization, ownership and mainly the players," Nash said this morning. "They're the ones who got me here."

The game is set for Jan. 30 in RBC Center, home of the Carolina Hurricanes. In his four previous All-Star games, Nash has totaled six goals, four assists and 10 points.

The NHL has changed the format for this year's game. Unlike in previous seasons, when teams would be separated by conference (Western vs. Eastern) or nationality (North American vs. World), the teams will be selected by a player draft.

The first six players -- Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleuary, and Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith -- were selected by fan voting last week."