11 NHL All-Stars Who Deserve Selection After Being Snubbed in Fan Voting

The first six players to secure a roster spot for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa this month were announced on Thursday as the winners of the fan voting process.

Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was the only player from a non-Ontario team to make the first six. The forward line consists of all Ottawa Senators players, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek.

The defensive pairing is Dion Phaneuf of the Toronto Maple Leads and Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators, with Thomas as the goalie.

This is a complete joke. Fan voting makes All-Star games popularity contests in most sports but in hockey it's by far the worst. The only players that deserve their spots in the top six are Thomas and Karlsson.

Who are the most deserving players that the NHL's Hockey Operations staff should choose for the rest of the rosters?

Let's take a look at the top 11.

Henrik Lundqvist

The New York Rangers are in first place in the Eastern Conference and the primary reason for their success is goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist did not deserve to make it over Thomas; however, he should be the second goalie selected to the roster.

He is fourth in both save percentage and GAA, and has been tremendous this season for the Rangers, who are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

King Henrik finished fifth in the fan voting among goalies, which is almost a slap in the face to arguably the league's best goaltender.

Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings

The fact that Jimmy Howard wasn't even on the ballot was a complete joke to begin with, but thankfully enough fans voted for him to make him finish in sixth place among goaltenders in the fan voting process.

Howard has carried the Detroit Red Wings this season who do not have a reliable backup to give him the rest he needs.

Despite playing often, Howard leads the NHL with 24 wins.

Brian Elliott, St. Louis Blues

Brian Elliott is third in the NHL in save percentage and second in GAA, and has been fantastic all season for the St. Louis Blues.

He is a primary reason the Blues are in the playoff race out in the Western Conference, and his consistent play has made them a dangerous team.

He certainly deserves to be one of the first goalies to be selected for the All-Star Game.

Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

Through all the ups and downs of the Detroit Red Wings season thus far, one constant performer and leader has been captain and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom.

Lidstrom has excelled at both ends of the ice this season and is still an elite player. He is 11th among defensemen in points and has a better plus/minus rating than any d-men in the top 10 in points.

This isn't a legacy vote. Lidstrom deserves to be there. He finished fourth in the fan voting among defensemen.

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara finished fifth in fan voting for defensemen, but is one of the top three d-men that deserve a roster spot.

The Bruins allow the fewest goals per game in the NHL, and even though having two elite goalies helps that, the play of Chara has been a big part of the Bruins' defensive success this season.

Chara is fabulous in his own zone and even has 23 points this season, which is tied for 11th best among defensemen.

Alexander Edler, Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler has been spectacular this season and has really stepped up his play with the offseason departure of Christian Ehrhoff.

His 28 points ranks fourth among defensemen this season, and Edler has been very good in his own end as well.

Edler finished 15th among defensemen in fan voting, which is another travesty.

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Steven Stamkos leads the NHL in goals with 27 (five more than anyone else) and is fifth in points, yet he finished 16th among forwards in fan voting.

No that's not a typo, 16th! That's insane, Stamkos should be the first forward selected. Stamkos is the best young offensive player in hockey and has been amazing this season.

After this season, Stamkos might be considered the NHL's best player.

Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux has become a superstar this season and is tied for second in the NHL with 45 points despite playing just 33 games.

Giroux finished seventh in the fan voting among forwards, with Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul all receiving more votes.

Giroux is becoming one of the league's best players this year and has the stats to back it up.

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is a Hart Trophy candidate this season with his fantastic offensive and defensive play.

He has scored 22 goals with 17 assists and has a plus/minus rating of 14, which is the fifth highest among the league's top 20 scorers.

Toews has been a force at both ends of the ice this season and is well deserving of an All-Star game selection.

Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

I wasn't going to forget about the NHL's top two leading scorers this season. Vancouver Canucks forward Henrik and Daniel Sedin lead the NHL in points, with Henrik having 48, two more than brother Daniel and Claude Giroux.

Henrik and Daniel are first and fourth in assists, respectively, and are still elite NHL playmakers.

The Canucks are leading the Northwest division again, and with inconsistent goaltending the Sedin twins have really stepped up their games and have carried the team.

Both of them are automatic selections to the All-Star Game.