Wild star Kirill Kaprizov thrilled for another appearance at NHL All-Star Weekend
Wild star Kirill Kaprizov had a blast at NHL All-Star Weekend last season, so naturally, he’s excited to be returning this season.
“It’s an amazing honor to be selected again,” said Kaprizov, who has 22 goals and 25 assists this season. “Obviously I’m very happy.”
It marks the second straight season that the 25-year-old Russian will represent the Wild at the annual spectacle. He is only the fifth player in franchise history to be selected to the All-Star Game multiple times. The others were Marian Gaborik, , Ryan Suter, Devan Dubnyk and Eric Staal.
After earning a trip to All-Star Weekend last season, Kaprizov most notably paid tribute to his childhood hero during the Breakaway Challenge. Not only did Kaprizov don Alex Ovechkin’s jersey for the event, he shot right-handed en route to scoring an impressive goal.
“It was an awesome experience,” Kaprizov said. “It’s really good to connect with all the players and spend some time with them. There’s a lot of fun competitions going on, so it’s good to get out there and be competitive. Just a really good time to hang out.”
If he competes in the Breakaway Challenge once again this season, perhaps Kaprizov will draw inspiration from a nifty move he tried earlier this week. With the Wild (22-13-2) in complete control late in Wednesday’s 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kaprizov shot from between his legs on a partial breakaway. He beat Lightning goaltender Brian Elliott clean only to have the puck clang off of the post.
“It happened pretty fast,” Kaprizov said. “It was something where I saw it as an opportunity, so I decided to try it. If I had gone to the backhand I think the goalie would’ve already been there. I tried it, and unfortunately I missed.”
There’s still about a month for Kaprizov to figure out what he wants to do in the Breakaway Challenge with All-Star Weekend taking place on Feb. 3-4 in Sunrise, Fla.
Related Articles
Minnesota Wild | Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov selected to NHL All-Star Weekend for second straight year
Minnesota Wild | Wild star Kirill Kaprizov nearly scored the goal of the year. How the heck did he do it?
Minnesota Wild | Wild earn statement win over Lightning on national television
Minnesota Wild | Joel Eriksson Ek plans to play through pain. How do Wild decide who gets to do that?
Minnesota Wild | Ryan Hartman gives Wild a boost as he slowly rounds back into form
