CHAIMOVICH: PLAYING ROSTERS UNVEILED FOR 2020 AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC 

PLAYING ROSTERS UNVEILED FOR 2020 AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC

BY: Jason Chaimovich, AHL

SPRINGFIELD, MA. – The American Hockey League announced today the playing rosters for the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport, to be held January 26-27 in Ontario, Calif.

Each of the AHL’s four divisions will be represented by 12 players. Rosters were determined by committees of AHL coaches, and all 31 AHL teams are represented by at least one All-Star.

The 2020 rosters feature 33 first-time AHL All-Stars and 12 former first- or second-round draft choices. In addition, 23 of the All-Stars named have also played in the National Hockey League already this season, including Drake Batherson of the Belleville Senators (Ottawa), Morgan Frost of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia), Gerald Mayhew of the Iowa Wild (Minnesota), Kailer Yamamoto of the Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton) and Rasmus Sandin of the Toronto Marlies (Toronto), who becomes the first AHL All-Star born in the 2000’s.

Hartford Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch, Rochester Americans head coach Chris Taylor, Milwaukee Admirals head coach Karl Taylor and Tucson Roadrunners head coach Jay Varady will serve as coaches for the event.

The 2020 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Jan. 26 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events.

In the 2020 AHL All-Star Challenge on Monday, Jan. 27 (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), the four teams will participate in a 3-on-3, round-robin tournament featuring six games of 10 minutes each. The two teams with the best records at the end of the round-robin will face off for the championship, a six-minute, 3-on-3 game.

Tickets for the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport, which include admission to both the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Jan. 26, and the AHL All-Star Challenge on Monday, Jan. 27, are available now by visiting ontarioreign.com/allstar.

The 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League: since 1995, more than 95 percent of All-Star Classic participants have gone on to compete in the National Hockey League, including Cam Atkinson, Patrice Bergeron, Jordan Binnington, Ben Bishop, John Carlson, Zdeno Chara, Logan Couture, Connor Hellebuyck, Braden Holtby, Tyler Johnson, Andreas Johnsson, Martin Jones, Jonathan Marchessault, Brandon Montour, William Nylander, Kyle Palmieri, Zach Parise, Mikko Rantanen, Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Dylan Strome, P.K. Subban and Mats Zuccarello.

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and staff of all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers. In 2018-19, over 7 million fans attended AHL regular-season and playoff games across North America.

Atlantic Division All-Stars

F Andrew Agozzino, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (3rd appearance)
D Sebastian Aho, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (2nd)
D Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers (1st)
F Paul Carey, Providence Bruins (1st)
G Chris Driedger, Springfield Thunderbirds (1st)
F Morgan Frost, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1st)
D Joey Keane, Hartford Wolf Pack (1st)
F Matt Moulson (“C”), Hershey Bears (1st)
F Mike Sgarbossa, Hershey Bears (2nd)
G Igor Shesterkin, Hartford Wolf Pack (1st)
F Jack Studnicka, Providence Bruins (1st)
F Owen Tippett, Springfield Thunderbirds (1st)

Coach: Kris Knoblauch, Hartford Wolf Pack (1st)

North Division All-Stars

F Rudolfs Balcers, Belleville Senators (2nd appearance)
F Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch (1st)
F Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators (2nd)
F Reid Boucher, Utica Comets (3rd)
F Nathan Gerbe, Cleveland Monsters (3rd)
F Charles Hudon, Laval Rocket (2nd)
G Jonas Johansson, Rochester Americans (1st)
G Kasimir Kaskisuo, Toronto Marlies (1st)
F Lawrence Pilut, Rochester Americans (1st)
D Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets (1st)
D Rasmus Sandin, Toronto Marlies (1st)
F Ben Street, Binghamton Devils (2nd)

Coach: Chris Taylor, Rochester Americans (1st)

Central Division All-Stars

D Alexandre Carrier, Milwaukee Admirals (2nd appearance)
F Lucas Elvenes, Chicago Wolves (1st)
F Matthew Ford (“C”), Grand Rapids Griffins (1st)
F Jansen Harkins, Manitoba Moose (1st)
G Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals (2nd)
G Kevin Lankinen, Rockford IceHogs (1st)
F Joel L’Esperance, Texas Stars (2nd)
F Gerald Mayhew, Iowa Wild (1st)
D Brennan Menell, Iowa Wild (1st)
D Derrick Pouliot, San Antonio Rampage (2nd)
F Chris Terry, Grand Rapids Griffins (5th)
F Yakov Trenin, Milwaukee Admirals (1st)

Coach: Karl Taylor, Milwaukee Admirals (1st)

Pacific Division All-Stars

F Joachim Blichfeld, San Jose Barracuda (1st appearance)
D Kyle Capobianco, Tucson Roadrunners (3rd)
D Kale Clague, Ontario Reign (1st)
F Martin Frk, Ontario Reign (1st)
F Glenn Gawdin, Stockton Heat (1st)
F Lane Pederson, Tucson Roadrunners (1st)
G Cal Petersen, Ontario Reign (2nd)
F Matthew Phillips, Stockton Heat (1st)
G Anthony Stolarz, San Diego Gulls (2nd)
F T.J. Tynan, Colorado Eagles (3rd)
D Chris Wideman, San Diego Gulls (2nd)
F Kailer Yamamoto, Bakersfield Condors (1st)

Coach: Jay Varady, Tucson Roadrunners (1st)