OTTAWA — The NHL’s freshly crowned All-Star speed champ says he isn’t even the fastest Rangers skater at the annual showcase.
“Not too seriously,” Carl Hagelin said is how he will take winning the fastest skater title in the yearly skills competition last night. “There are guys out there faster than me. It depends, too, on how the race is laid out. I would pick Gabby [Marian Gaborik] before me.”
Hagelin gained his trip when Devils rookie Adam Henrique withdrew from the rookie showcase to rest a groin injury. Because they had the best two times of the 10 first-round entrants, Hagelin skated against Senators rookie Colin Greening a second time to take the title.
Hagelin, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist and Islanders forward John Tavares helped Daniel Alfredsson’s side beat Zdeno Chara’s team, which included Gaborik, 21-12.
The sides, minus the rookies, play the All-Star Game this afternoon.
“Gabby said, ‘Good job,’ ” Hagelin said. “He said we’ll probably have a race next week.”
Hagelin triumphed despite being jobbed by Greening in their rookie heat. Hagelin was first across the finish line, but Greening reached with his stick to break the timing beam. In the final, Hagelin won clearly, without tomfoolery.
“He knew about it. Good for him,” Hagelin said of Greening’s stunt.
In the other events, Chara defended his hardest-shot title with a record slap of 108.8 mph, topping the Predators’ Shea Weber at 106.
Though showboat Patrick Kane won the fan voting by donning a Superman cap and Clark Kent specs, Tavares put on the best trick shot show. He picked up the puck like a pancake, flipping it up and swatting it over Carey Price’s glove.
Dallas’ Jamie Benn won the accuracy shooting crown over Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux, while Gaborik had trouble hitting the breakable targets in the Skills Relay. Tampa Bay’s Steve Stamkos finished as shootout champ.