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Red Wings lead All-Star balloting

NEW YORK, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Detroit teammates Brendan Shanahan, Brett Hull and Steve Yzerman held the lead at their respective positions in the latest balloting for the North American All-Star team released Wednesday.

Shanahan, a six-time All-Star, topped all North American players with 111,592 votes and had a comfortable lead over Hull among wingers. Hull was named on 49,729 ballots, 5,600 more than Owen Nolan of the San Jose Sharks.

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Long-time Detroit captain Steve Yzerman had the lead among centers with 69,242 votes, more than 21,000 ahead of Joe Sakic of the archrival Colorado Avalanche. Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux, out since mid-November with a nagging hip injury, was third with 32,590 votes.

The Red Wings still lead the race for the Presidents' Trophy with 49 points, but have scored just five goals during a 1-5-1 stretch. Shanahan has gone nine games without scoring, Hull is mired in an eight-game drought and Yzerman has one goal in his last nine contests.

Patrick Roy of the Avalanche was in front of North American goaltenders with 67,255 votes, about 7,600 more than Curtis Joseph of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils was a distant third.

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Former Norris Trophy winners Rob Blake of the Avalanche and Chris Pronger of the St. Louis Blues led balloting among defensemen with 84,456 and 63,471 votes. Scott Stevens of the Devils and Chris Chelios filled the next two spots and were separated by just four votes.

Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames, the NHL's leading scorer, does not appear on the ballot but was 16th among wingers with 19,543 write-in votes.

Voting continues through Jan. 14. This season's game will be played Feb. 2 in Los Angeles, shortly before the league shuts down for the Olympics.

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