Mark Streit, Switzerland’s first NHL All-Star
New York Islanders defenseman Mark Streit became the first Swiss-born player to make the NHL All-Star Game after the league announced he would be added to the Eastern Conference selection Thursday.
Streit is tied for first among NHL defensemen in scoring with 32 points (eight goals, 24 assists) and leads all NHL defensemen in powerplay scoring with 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists). This is his first season on Long Island after signing as a free agent on July 1, 2008.
“This is an unbelievable honor and I’m truly excited to represent the Islanders in the All-Star Game,” said Streit, who was presented with an Eastern Conference All-Star Jersey at the Islanders’ morning skate in Calgary. “It’s going to be a great experience to go back to Montreal and it will be a lot of fun.”
Among NHL defensemen, Streit also ranks tied for fifth in goals with eight, second in assists with 24, tied for second in powerplay goals with seven, tied for first in shorthanded goals with one and seventh in shooting percentage at 10.5 percent.
In 246 career NHL games, Streit has recorded 33 goals and 108 assists for 141 points. Streit also has eight years of experience playing in the Swiss league, where he scored a total of 57 goals and 139 assists for 196 points in 363 games.
After being selected by Montreal in the ninth round (262nd overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Streit played for the Canadiens for three seasons (2005-06 – 2007-08) before joining the Islanders as a free agent last summer. Streit is signed by the Islanders through the 2012-13 season.
The roster additions to the NHL All-Star Game were selected by the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department, after consultation with League General Managers.
The 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend in Montreal will celebrate the Montreal Canadiens’ Centennial season with live national broadcasts of the Honda/NHL SuperSkills event on Saturday, Jan. 24, and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 25. No word yet on if the game will be televised in Switzerland as a result of Streit’s selection
