Fan All-Star Team: First Line
Over 5000 nominations
From Friday 27 March until Friday 3 April, we asked fans to vote for their All-Star team of 2019/20. Each voter had to submit two full lines including a goalie, two defensemen, and three forwards.
The results for the first line were revealed on Twitter over the last four days. The 2019/20 fan All-Star Team First Line was chosen as:
- Goalie - CJ Motte
- Defensemen - Gleason Fournier (Cardiff Devils) & Mark Matheson (Nottingham Pathers)
- Forwards: Sam Herr (Nottingham Panthers), Luke Ferrara (Coventry Blaze), Joey Haddad (Cardiff Devils)
The second line will be revealed on Twitter over the next few days.
Motte ended the season having saved 92.68% of the shots he faced in 24 games for Coventry. His arrival coincided with the Blaze's notable change in fortunes, going on a 17-game streak without losing in regulation.
Gleason Fournier was the most-voted defenseman among fans. The 28-year-old put up 47 points for Cardiff in 46 league games, scoring 13 goals in the process. Next to him is Nottingham's Mark Matheson who, at 36, notched 44 points in 46 league games for the Panthers. Matheson moved to Nottingham in the offseason from Sheffield and was a key part of Head Coach Tim Wallace's blueline, as well as taking on Assistant Coach duties for the team.
The forward line is led by Panthers' captain Sam Herr, who had a wonderful debut season in the Elite League. The American played 58 games in all competitions and totalled 76 points with 36 goals and 40 assists. In the league, he was also a +16, the eleventh highest overall. Joining him is British forward Luke Ferrara who was top of the league's goal-scoring charts at the point the season was ended. A career year for the 26-year-old, Ferrara scored 33 goals for the Blaze in 47 league games, and put up 54 points together with another seven in the Challenge Cup. Speaking of career years, third forward Joey Haddad was also another player having an excellent season. The 31-year-old put up 68 points in 59 EIHL games across both competitions for his best-ever campaign as a Devil.
