New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - The NHL's leading goal-scorer, Atlanta Thrashers left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, headed a list of 15 players named as reserves to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the game to be played in Atlanta January 27.

Kovalchuk, who leads the NHL with 36 goals and ranks second with 61 points, will not be the only player representing the host team, as fellow Thrashers forward Marian Hossa was named to his fourth All-Star team.

Hossa and Kovalchuk will be joined up front by a group headlined by Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who was named to his second All-Star team just one day after signing a 13-year, $124 million contract extension with the Capitals, and former Thrasher Dany Heatley, who has piled up 55 points (25 goals, 30 assists) for the conference-leading Ottawa Senators.

Also getting All-Star nods at forward for the East were Scott Gomez of the New York Rangers, Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators, Mike Richards of the Philadelphia Flyers and Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Richards and Spezza were both named to their first All-Star teams, as was New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro. DiPietro and Tomas Vokoun of the Florida Panthers were named as the backups to Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, who was named an All-Star for the 10th time Tuesday.

Named as reserves to man the blue line in front of Broduer, DiPietro and Vokoun were Brian Campbell of the Buffalo Sabres, Sergei Gonchar of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tomas Kaberle of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Kimmo Timonen of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The reserves were selected by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department after consulting with the league's general managers. They join the six starters selected by fan voting; Brodeur, defensemen Andrei Markov of the Montreal Canadiens and Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and forwards Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vincent Lecavelier of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators.

The Senators, tops in the East with 60 points (28-10-4), have the most representation on the squad with three All-Stars. The Penguins, Flyers, Thrashers and Lightning each send two All-Star representatives

The East will be coached by John Paddock of the Ottawa Senators, who will be behind the bench for his first All-Star Game.