PARENTEAU 2008-2009 AHL FIRST ALL-STAR 

In Airplane II, Buck Murdock (William Shatner) utters the immortal line, “Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.” Such was the case on Thursday as the Pack’s P.A. Parenteau was named a first team AHL All-Star as voted on by coaches, players and the media. Artem Anisimov, made neither team.

What’s so ironic about that?

Artem Anisimov played in the AHL All-Star game in Worcester this year while P.A. Parenteau was not asked to attend.

Congratulations to an outstanding talent and fine human being.

Here are the rest of the 2008-09 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams…

Cory Schneider, Goaltender (Manitoba Moose):
A first-round draft pick by Vancouver in 2004, Cory Schneider has had a breakout sophomore pro season for Manitoba. He owns a 28-7-1 record and currently paces the league in goals-against average (1.89) and save percentage (.932) while ranking tied for fourth in wins and tied for second in shutouts (five) in 37 appearances. The Marblehead, Mass., native’s 13-game winning streak from Oct. 17 to Jan. 10 was interrupted by his NHL debut for the Canucks, with whom he made eight appearances. Schneider, 23, has allowed three goals or fewer in 34 of his 37 appearances, and earned the start in net for PlanetUSA at the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic.

Johnny Boychuk, Defenseman (Providence Bruins):
Johnny Boychuk has put together a standout year for Providence, leading all AHL defensemen in goals (20), assists (43), points (63), power-play goals (10) and shots on goal (273) while adding a plus-21 rating in 73 games. A second-round draft pick by Colorado in 2002, Boychuk kicked off the year with a six-game scoring streak and later started on the blue line at the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic. The 25-year-old Edmonton native is the only rearguard currently leading his team in scoring, and he has also appeared in one NHL game for parent-club Boston on the campaign.

Danny Syvret, Defenseman (Philadelphia Phantoms):
A fourth-year pro, Danny Syvret had never tallied more than four goals or 20 points in a season before racking up 12 goals and 51 points in 70 games for Philadelphia in 2008-09. The 23-year-old from Burlington, Ont., had eclipsed his career high in both categories by the end of November and currently ranks second among AHL backliners in points and fifth in goals. Drafted in 2005, Syvret appeared in the AHL All-Star Classic in January and suited up for two games with the parent Flyers in March.

 
Alexandre Giroux, Left Wing (Hershey Bears):
One of the most prolific AHL snipers of this decade, Alexandre Giroux leads the league with 55 goals – the highest single-season total in Hershey’s 71-year history – and ranks second with 91 points, both career highs, in just 64 games with the Bears. A Quebec City native, Giroux registered a point in 23 consecutive games for the Bears from Nov. 15 to Jan. 30, a stretch that included his league-record 15-game goal-scoring streak. The 27-year-old forward has long since clinched his fifth consecutive 30-goal AHL campaign and has chipped in two points (1-1-2) in 12 NHL games with Washington as well.

Keith Aucoin, Center (Hershey Bears):
Currently showing 25 goals and 69 assists for 94 points, Keith Aucoin has been atop the AHL’s scoring list since registering his first of three five-point efforts this season on opening night in October. Aucoin, seeking his first AHL scoring title after three top-10 finishes, has earned his first First Team All-Star berth after garnering Second Team nods in 2006 and 2007, and he appeared in his fourth consecutive AHL All-Star Classic in January. The 30-year-old from Waltham, Mass., joined the AHL’s 500-point club on Feb. 14 and has one goal and two assists in seven NHL games for Washington on the season.

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Right Wing (Hartford Wolf Pack):
On track to finish among the AHL’s top 10 scorers for the third consecutive season, P.A. Parenteau currently ranks fourth in points (78) and tied for fourth in assists (49) in 74 games for Hartford. The 26-year-old native of Hull, Que., is one goal shy of reaching 30 for the third year in a row, and three points away from his career high of 81 set last season. Parenteau, a Second Team AHL All-Star in 2007-08, has put together scoring streaks of six, seven and eight games during the campaign.

2008-09 AHL Second All-Star Team

Drew MacIntyre, Goaltender (Milwaukee Admirals):
Drew MacIntyre (31-14-4) has enjoyed a sparkling season in 2008-09, setting career highs in wins, shutouts (four) and games played (51) for Milwaukee. The 25-year-old netminder is currently one off the league lead for victories and ranks among the top 10 in both goals-against average (2.35) and save percentage (.919). A native of Charlottetown, P.E.I., MacIntyre won 15 of 19 decisions from Dec. 10 to Feb. 6 and has earned his second consecutive berth on the AHL’s Second All-Star Team.

Cody Franson, Defenseman (Milwaukee Admirals):
Second-year pro Cody Franson has been one of the AHL’s top-scoring defensemen all season, currently ranking third in points (50) and tied for second in assists (41) in 71 games for Milwaukee, making him the Admirals’ third-leading scorer overall. A Nashville Predators draft pick in 2005 and a member of the AHL’s All-Rookie Team last year, the 21-year-old Sicamous, B.C., native made his AHL All-Star Classic debut this winter and has not had a scoreless drought of more than five games all season long.

Ben Lovejoy, Defenseman (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins):
In his second pro season out of Dartmouth College, Ben Lovejoy is the league’s plus/minus pacesetter at plus-43, wh
ich would be the highest mark in the AHL in more than a decade, and has topped his rookie-year totals in goals (seven), assists (22) and points (29) through 72 games played to lead all Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defensemen in scoring. Lovejoy, a 25-year-old from Canaan, N.H., made his National Hockey League debut with Pittsburgh in December and appeared in his first AHL All-Star Classic in January.

Janne Pesonen, Left Wing (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins):
The most potent newcomer to a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton club that reached the Calder Cup Finals in 2008, Janne Pesonen leads the Penguins with 74 points while ranking second in both goals (29) and assists (45) through 65 games of his first season of North American hockey. A native of Suomussalmi, Finland, Pesonen found the scoresheet in 15 of his first 18 contests this season and has averaged at least a point per game in every calendar month thus far. Drafted in 2004, the 26-year-old Pesonen has also appeared in his first seven career NHL contests for Pittsburgh.

Jason Krog, Center (Manitoba Moose):
Jason Krog, the AHL’s scoring champion and its regular-season and playoff MVP last season, has orchestrated another extraordinary performance in 2008-09. Poised to finish in the AHL’s top 10 in scoring for the third straight year, Krog shows 29 goals, 54 assists and 83 points to go along with a plus-25 rating in 69 games for Manitoba this season. The native of Fernie, B.C., has recorded 24 multiple-point performances to lead the Moose’s charge towards the North Division crown. Krog also contributed one goal in four NHL contests with Vancouver this year.

Darren Haydar, Right Wing (Grand Rapids Griffins):
A two-time Calder Cup winner and a former AHL MVP, scoring champion and rookie of the year, Darren Haydar picks up another accolade with a Second Team All-Star selection in 2008-09. The Toronto native is currently tied for fifth overall in the AHL with 75 points in 74 games for Grand Rapids, notching his 500th career AHL point on Feb. 7. In his first year with the Griffins, Haydar has captained the club back to postseason action after a one-year absence from the Calder Cup tournament, where he is already the league’s all-time leading playoff scorer.

(Parenteau photo courtesy of theahl.com, William Shatner photo courtesy of blog.bandrej.com)