RALEIGH — So there apparently were no pre-draft deals between All-Star captains Eric Staal and Niklas Lidstrom when all was said and done.

When Staal won the first pick of the draft with a flip of a puck, he didn't hesitate to pick his Carolina teammate, goalie Cam Ward, at the NHL Fantasy Draft held at the NHL Fan Fair in the Raleigh Convention Center Friday.

Teams are set for Saturday's Honda NHL SuperSkills competition and Sunday's NHL All-Star Game, all to be held at Raleigh's RBC Center.

Ward said Staal made no promises beforehand.

"No, he didn’t," Ward said, after the draft was completed. "That’s why I was worried I might have to sweat it out in there, but fortunately he chose me. I didn’t have to sit down and soak through my shirt."

RALEIGH — The moment many have been waiting for, the NHL Fantasy Draft, has started (a few minutes late). It's the first time the NHL has used this format for the All-Star Game, at the RBC Center Sunday.

With Carolina Hurricanes star Eric Staal and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Lidstrom the captains, as determined by a vote of the players, the captains have 36 players to pick from. They've already determined alternate captains (Washington Captials defenseman Mike Green and Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler with Staal; Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane and Tampa Bay Lightning Martin St. Louis with Lidstrom).

Captains must pick their three goalies by the 10th round and their six defenseman by the 15th round.