New York, NY – New York Islanders center John Tavares has been named the NHL's First Star for the month of January.
Tavares led the league in points last month with nine goals and 13 assists while registering a plus-11 rating. The third-year pivot recorded a point in all but one of the Islanders' 13 games.
Second Star honors went to Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, who finished the first month of 2012 with league-high 12 goals and four assists.
Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne rounded out the monthly stars. The 29-year-old lost just one of his 12 starts -- he is currently riding a 10-game winning streak -- and posted a 1.92 goals-against average with a .935 save percentage.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.