NHL reveals new-look All-Star roster selection process

Fans will select the four captains the 2016 NHL All-Star Game with the remaining 40 roster spots filled out by the league's Hockey Operations Department.

The format of the game may be changing, but there’ll be at least one familiar element to the NHL's 2016 All-Star Weekend at the end of January in Nashville.

The All-Star Fan Vote, which opens on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 12 p.m. ET at NHL.com/Vote, will allow fans to determine the four All-Star captains who will lead their respective divisions into the new three-game, three-on-three tournament format.

Fans will be permitted to select as few as one player and a maximum of four players per ballot. The maximum number of ballots cast per day for each user is 10, so that means we’re unlikely to see Jordie Benn benefit from a Rory Fitzpatrick-style ballot box stuffing campaign.

Voting concludes on Friday, Jan. 1, with the top vote-getters by division—regardless of position—named All-Stars and captains. That means we could see a goalie—Henrik Lundqvist, maybe?—wearing the C come game time.

The remaining 40 All-Stars will be selected by the NHL Hockey Operations Department.

Check out our initial take on how the rosters might play out here.