Player Profile: Marian Gaborik

                RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NHL will announce its All-Star Game rosters tonight,
                 and the big question for Minnesota hockey fans is: Will the Wild's Marian
                 Gaborik be named to the World Team?

                 Entering play Tuesday, Gaborik was 20th in the NHL in scoring, with 41 points
                 in 42 games. More importantly, he was ninth among scorers not born in North
                 America.

                 The World Team starters, as voted by fans, include forwards Teemu Selanne
                 of San Jose, Jaromir Jagr of Washington and Sergei Fedorov of Detroit.
                 None of the three have more points than Gaborik.

                 One thing in Gaborik's favor is the Wild was one of only five teams that did not
                 have an All-Star representative last season. All-Star reserves are picked by the
                 hockey operations departments (mostly the coaches and general managers) of
                 NHL teams.

                 Another possibility: Gaborik could play in a prospects' All-Star game for players
                 25 and under.

                 The All-Star Game will be played Feb. 2 in Los Angeles.

                 Etc.

                 ?Wild defenseman Brad Brown, out the past three weeks because of a
                 fractured ankle, is on the trip, but he did not play Tuesday. Forward Andy
                 Sutton (groin) and defenseman Brad Bombardir (ankle) did not make the trip.
                 Forward Stacy Roest was a healthy scratch.

                 -- Tom Jones is at [email protected] .