Nelson selected for his first All-Star Game

EDMONTON, Alberta — Brock Nelson is truly a first-time NHL All-Star. He never attended an All-Star Game growing up. The last one in his home state of Minnesota was 2004 and he was still nine months from being born when his uncle, Dave Christian, played in the 1991 game.

But the Islanders center was selected to the Metropolitan Division squad by the NHL Hockey Operations Department for this season’s All-Star Weekend in Sunrise, Florida, on Feb. 3-4, the league announced on Thursday.

Nelson entered Thursday night’s game against the Oilers at Rogers Place leading the Islanders with 15 goals and second on the team with 38 points.

“You could make the case for a number of guys, right?” Nelson told Newsday before Thursday’s announcement. “I wouldn’t know what to expect but it would be a great time. I think it would be fun, especially for me with the kids. My son is getting to a fun age now where we’re playing mini-sticks.”

Goalie Ilya Sorokin, center Mathew Barzal and defenseman Noah Dobson were the Islanders’ other strong candidates. Fan voting, which runs through Jan. 17, will select three additional players to each divisional squad.

Nelson, 31, grew up in Warroad, Minnesota, about a six-hour drive to St. Paul, where the Wild play.

“I only went to one Minnesota game growing up,” said Nelson, when asked about the 2004 All-Star Game at the Xcel Energy Center. “Maybe I would have watched it on TV but that might have been far for us to go.”

Notes & quotes: Dobson played in his 200th NHL game . . . Coach Lane Lambert said RW Simon Holmstrom (injured reserve/lower body) has resumed skating while RW Oliver Wahlstrom (injured reserve/lower body) has not. Lambert added D Adam Pelech (injured reserve/suspected head injury) “will skate soon.” Pelech has been out since Dec. 6.