Fiala to participate in first NHL All-Star Game, in his first season with the Kings
The NHL announced this past Thursday that LA Kings forward Kevin Fiala has been named to the Pacific Division roster for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game that will take place on Saturday, February 4 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
Thursday’s announcement marks the first All-Star Game selection for Fiala, who leads the Kings in multiple statistics, including points (39), assists (29), even-strength points (27), power-play points (12), multi-point games (11), points-per-game (0.95), overtime goals (1) and shots (119). The 26-year-old becomes the sixth different Kings player named to represent the Kings in the last ten NHL All-Star Games, joining current teammates Drew Doughty (2015, 2016, 2017^, 2018, 2019), Adrian Kempe (2022), Anze Kopitar (2011, 2015, 2018, 2020) and Jonathan Quick (2016, 2018*).
Acquired by the Kings this past offseason from the Minnesota Wild, Fiala signed a seven-year contract on June 30 carrying an average annual value of $7.875 million. In his first season with the club, the 5-10, 204-pound forward has registered 39 points (10-29=39) in 41 games, with his 29 assists ranking sixth in the league among forwards. On Nov. 14, the St. Gallen, Switzerland native registered his 300th career point to become just the fifth Swiss-born skater in NHL history to reach such mark. In addition, he currently sits one point shy of the 40-point plateau, which would mark his fourth consecutive 40-point season and fifth of his career for the third-most among Swiss-born players (Roman Josi – 8, Mark Streit – 6).
Through nine NHL seasons, the former first-round selection (11th overall, Nashville) in the 2014 NHL Draft has registered 322 points (134-188=322) in 460 appearances with the Kings, Wild and Nashville Predators. Since the 2021-22 season, his 94 even-strength points in 123 games rank seventh-best in the league while his 124 points (43-81=124) pace all Kings skaters.
The 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend will take place from Feb. 2-5 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. The midseason showcase will include the 2023 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook on Friday, Feb. 3 (4 p.m. PT, ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVAS) and the 2023 NHL All-Star Game on Saturday, Feb. 4 (12 p.m. PT, ABC, ESPN+, CBC, Sportsnet, TVAS). Further details regarding fan voting for the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game will be released by the NHL.