Florida

Luongo and Ekblad Headed to NHL All-Star Festivities

Roberto Luongo was selected for the All-Star Game while Aaron Ekblad will be in the Skills Competition

The Florida Panthers will be sending Roberto Luongo and Aaron Ekblad to Columbus for the All-Star festivities later this month.

Luongo was selected as a member of the All-Star Game roster while the rookie Ekblad will take part in the Skills Competition. This is the first time that Luongo has been chosen for an All-Star roster since 2009 while with the Vancouver Canucks.

The first time that Luongo was selected as an All-Star came back in 2004 during his first run with Florida. He was then selected in three straight games from 2007-2009 while in Vancouver. The goalie elected to not accept his All-Star nod in 2008 due to his pregnant wife.

This season thus far, Luongo is 12th in the league in goals allowed and third in save percentage at .926. That percentage is better than Luongo's career average and his personal best since the 2010-11 season..

Ekblad who was the first overall pick in the NHL draft this past off-season is being recognized for his strong rookie campaign. The Skills Competition will take place a day before the NHL All-Star Game.

In the first season of his career, Ekblad has five goals and 18 assists in 39 games. His rating of +11 is the best among all NHL rookies. The 18-year old has done a great job defensively as well and is a big reason for Florida's success this year.

The NHL All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, January 25th at 5:00 p.m. on NBC.Sports Network.

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