Sharks’ Tomas Hertl on NHL All-Star nod: “I will be enjoying every moment”
Tomas Hertl chosen to replace injured Logan Couture and represent the San Jose Sharks at the NHL All-Star Game
SAN JOSE — Tomas Hertl is still dealing with the lower body issue that caused him to miss four games in late November, so he might have been able to use the extra days off over the NHL’s All-Star weekend.
Still, Hertl said, it’ll be an honor for him to play in the event for the first time when the game is held in St. Louis later this month. Hertl was chosen to represent the Sharks after Logan Couture, who was initially selected for the game, suffered a broken bone is left ankle Jan. 7 in a game against the St. Louis Blues.
Hertl, in his seventh NHL season, enters Saturday’s game with the Dallas Stars with 15 goals and 34 points, as he has taken over the No. 1 center role with Couture expected to miss roughly six weeks.
“It’s still a big honor for me. I’m really happy about it,” Hertl said. “I’m kind of sad for (Couture) because he deserved it. I think he was skipped (over) the last couple years when he was always great (in) playoff runs, an underrated player in the NHL. So I was excited for him
“It’s tough but now that they picked me, I’m really happy about it. It’s a big honor for my first appearance.”
Hertl, 26, was initially injured in the Sharks’ Nov. 19 game against the Edmonton Oilers and had to miss the next four games.
The Sharks tried to take it easy with Hertl when he first returned to the lineup Nov. 29 for a game with the Los Angeles Kings. In that game and in the Sharks’ Dec. 3 game with the Washington Capitals, Hertl sat for large parts of the third period with the score out of hand on both dates.
In the last 17 games before Saturday, though, Hertl averaged just over 19 minutes of ice time per game and had 11 points, tied for second most on the Sharks with Timo Meier and one behind Erik Karlsson.
“He hasn’t been 100 percent healthy,” Sharks interim coach Bob Boughner said of Hertl, “and he’s still a go-to guy almost every night in a lot of situations. Penalty kill, faceoffs, power play, now he’s shutting down other team’s top lines. That’s his job.
“He’s got one of the most important roles on our team and to get rewarded for that, I think all of the guys are very happy for him and proud of him.”
After the Sharks’ three-game road trip that concludes Jan. 18 in Vancouver, the Sharks are off as a team from Jan. 19-25, so Hertl will get a chance to rest.
“I feel every day better. I don’t know, maybe take all season,” Hertl said. “It’s tough when you’re in skates every day. But before All Star Week, I still have five days off, so I can have a good rest for that.”
All-Star weekend starts Jan. 24 with the skills competition and concludes the following day with the 3-on-3 tournament. Hertl is part of Pacific Division team that includes Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers.
“I will be enjoying every moment,” Hertl said. “I don’t know what to expect. I will be looking for other guys, what they do. I don’t want to be the guy trying too much or doing nothing. It’s not like a ‘game’ game, so it’s not like I can get hurt more.”