Phil Kessel has the second-most goals in the NHL this year and could have been understandably miffed with the NHL powers that be for not being named to the NHL All-Star Game’s Eastern Conference team. But instead the 21-year-old phenom mentioned how deserving veteran teammates like Marc Savard, Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara were for again getting to the NHL’s mid-winter classic and representing the Black and Gold.

 ”I think [Chara, Thomas and Savard] are really deserving,” said Kessel, who is fourth in the NHL with 24 goals scored and .  “We’re on a really good hockey club this year and our leaders and guys like that deserve to be there.”