The National Hockey League All-Star teams were first named at the end of the

1930–31 NHL season The 1930–31 NHL season was the 14th season of the National Hockey League. Ten teams played 44 games each. The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks three games to two in the best-of-five Stanley Cup Finals for their second consecutiv ...

, to honor the best performers over the season at each position. Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the all-star team at the end of the regular season. The career leader in selections is Gordie Howe, named to a total of 21 all-star teams (12 first, 9 second), all with the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

. Alexander Ovechkin is the only player in history to be named to both all-star teams in the same season (as a left and right winger respectively) because of a voting error.Alex Ovechkin named to NHL's 1st, 2nd All-Star teams
/ref> The career leader for selections as a player without being inducted into the

Hockey Hall of Fame , logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg , logo_upright = 0.5 , image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg , caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992 , map_type = , former_name = , established = 1943 , location = 30 Y ...

is John LeClair, who was named to a total of 5 all-star teams (2 first, 3 second).