OTTAWA -- Blues goaltender Brian Elliott solicited pointers from teammates David Backes and Jason Arnott on what to expect on NHL All-Star weekend, but even that didn't prepare him for when he landed in Ottawa.

"Even having that, I got off the plane and got mobbed by autographs and pictures and cameras ... it's a little overwhelming," Elliott said Friday. "This is pretty cool, the top players in the league and the world are sitting around you."

Elliott returned to Ottawa, where he played three full seasons, with the No. 1 goals-against average (1.69) and top save percentage (.938) in the NHL. But even with that on his résumé, Elliott figured he might be the last goalie selected at Thursday's fantasy draft. Then in the seventh round, former Ottawa teammate Daniel Alfredsson plucked Elliott off the board.

"I just think his story is a great story," Alfredsson said. "I know he struggled with us last year, but to see him bounce back like this, I know how competitive he is and how hard he works, how much he prepares himself ... and he's really a good guy. I was really happy to be able to pick him for my team."

After struggling last season, Elliott was traded by the Senators to Colorado, where he finished the season and then signed with the Blues. Not knowing what his reception from fans would be like Thursday at All-Star draft, Elliott was pleasantly surprised.

"Getting a little cheer, I got a couple of texts from my brother and family and friends, and they were saying, 'That's pretty cool,'" Elliott said. "You sit back and realize that everybody is pulling for you. Nobody is really booing you ... unless you're a (Toronto) Maple Leaf. It's a great hockey city, and they appreciate everybody."

Elliott credited his Blues teammates for having the chance to be back in Ottawa, saying they "make my numbers pretty good." His numbers Sunday in the All-Star game, however, probably won't resemble his numbers with the Blues.

Elliott will face an opposing offense that features Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, Anaheim's Corey Perry, Toronto's Phil Kessel, Chicago's Patrick Kane and Calgary's Jarome Iginla, among others.

"I guess just try not to get too upset when you get scored on," Elliott said. "Give your team a chance to win. Usually it comes out pretty even in the end, so we'll see what happens."

If Elliott knew that he would be an NHL All-Star, playing back in Ottawa, would he go through the personal pain all over again?

"I don't know," he said. "Hindsight is 20-20. If this were the outcome, yeah, probably, I would have taken it. It's a hard way to get here, that's for sure. But this is pretty special for me, and I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Skills competition

The NHL All-Star Skills Competition will take place at 6 p.m. (St. Louis time) tonight at Scotiabank Place.

The six events are the fastest skater, breakaway challenge, accuracy shooting, skills challenge relay, hardest shot and elimination shootout.

A year ago, Boston's Zdeno Chara eclipsed his record in the hardest shot competition, registering a blast of 105.9 miles per hour to win his fourth consecutive title. Will Chara make it five in a row tonight?

"From our side, (Nashville's) Shea Weber would be the closest guy," Alfredsson said. "Hopefully, he has got some new technology in his stick or something that he can take advantage of. Those are the two strongest guys in the competition, I think."

New helmet

While many of the NHL's best players are in Ottawa participating in the game Sunday, several would-be all-stars are shelved with concussions.

The list includes Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Washington's Nicklas Backstrom and Philadelphia's Daniel Briere and Chris Pronger.

On Friday, the Flyers' Claude Giroux, who missed four games with a concussion, discussed the new Bauer Re-Akt helmet, which is designed to manage multiple hits.

"Head injuries are a serious aspect of our sport right now and as a player, you want to be protected as much as possible," Giroux told reporters in Ottawa. "No helmet is going to completely prevent concussions, but helmets like this one are providing an added level of protection."