Latvian fans flock to girgensons

Latvia-born forward Zemgus Girgensons is the unlikely runaway leader in NHL All-Star fan voting thanks to massive online support from his hockey-crazed homeland.

Girgensons is far from a household name in North America but his supporters back home are determined to see the 20-year-old Riga native play in the annual exhibition alongside the game's biggest stars.

The Buffalo Sabres forward has received nearly 82 percent of his 803,805 votes from Latvia. That's more than double the next player on the list and over 450,000 more than Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who has long been the face of the NHL.