[panoo]

TORONTO/SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced the Canadian and PlanetUSA AHL All-Star team rosters for the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic, to be played later this month at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto.

The Canadian team comprises players born in Canada, while the PlanetUSA team is made of players born outside of Canada. AHL fans determined the starting lineups via on-line balloting at theahl.com, while a committee of AHL coaches selected the remainder of the rosters.

AHL President and CEO David Andrews made the announcement as part of a press event at the Air Canada Centre this morning. He was joined by Andy Bathgate, Hockey Hall of Fame AHL All-Star Classic Honoree; Steve Thomas, AHL All-Star Classic honorary captain; former AHL All-Stars Peter Laviolette and Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes and Kyle Wellwood of the Toronto Maple Leafs; and current Leafs and former Marlies head coach Paul Maurice.

Thirty-four of the 48 selections are heading to their first AHL All-Star Classic, including team captains Mike Keane of the Manitoba Moose (Canada) and Kip Miller of the Grand Rapids Griffins (PlanetUSA), and standout rookies including Brett Sterling of the Chicago Wolves, Ryan Callahan of the Hartford Wolf Pack, Dustin Boyd of the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, Drew Stafford of the Rochester Americans, Matt Lashoff of the Providence Bruins and Marek Schwarz of the Peoria Rivermen.

The head coach of the Canadian All-Star team will be Bruce Boudreau, by virtue of his leading the Hershey Bears to the 2006 Calder Cup championship. Boudreau, a Toronto native and former AHL MVP who also played for the junior Marlies and the NHL Maple Leafs, will be making his second appearance behind an AHL All-Star bench. The head coach of the PlanetUSA team will come from the AHL club with the best points percentage after play on Jan. 14.

The 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic will take place at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, home of the AHL’s Marlies. The event features the 2007 CCM AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, January 28 (7:00 ET) and the 2007 AHL All-Star Game on Monday, January 29 (7:00 ET), and will be televised live on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and on a network of regional broadcast partners in the United States.

Of the 394 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Brad Boyes, Daniel Briere, Jonathan Cheechoo, Pavol Demitra, Rick DiPietro, Patrik Elias, Ray Emery, Miikka Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen, Ryan Miller, Dwayne Roloson, Marc Savard, Martin St. Louis, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal, Steve Sullivan and Kyle Wellwood.

 

[panoo]

AHL All-Star Teams

​

2007 Canadian AHL All-Star Team ​

X-Starters… Stats are through games of January 8, 2007​

Forwards ​

Dustin Boyd, Omaha​

Troy Brouwer, Norfolk​

Mathieu Darche, Worcester​

Jonathan Filewich, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton​

Alexandre Giroux, Hershey - X​

Darren Haydar, Chicago - X​

Mike Keane, Manitoba (“C”)​

Zenon Konopka, Portland - X​

Jason Krog, Chicago​

Clarke MacArthur, Rochester​

Brad Moran, Manitoba​

Kris Newbury, Toronto​

Martin St. Pierre, Norfolk​

Defensemen ​

Nolan Baumgartner, Philadelphia​

Sheldon Brookbank, Milwaukee​

Daniel Girardi, Hartford - X​

T.J. Kemp, Manchester​

Derek Meech, Grand Rapids​

Curtis Murphy, Houston​

Lawrence Nycholat, Hershey - X​

Mathieu Roy, Hamilton​

Goaltenders ​

Wade Dubielewicz, Bridgeport​

Jason LaBarbera, Manchester - X​

Curtis McElhinney, Omaha​

Head Coach: Bruce Boudreau, Hershey Bears​

Assistant Coach: Bob Woods, Hershey Bears​

Athletic Therapist: Steve Dias, Toronto Marlies​

Equipment Manager: Brad Harrison, Toronto Marlies​

2007 PlanetUSA AHL All-Star Team ​

X-Starters… Stats are through games of January 8, 2007​

Forwards ​

Keith Aucoin, Albany​

Brandon Bochenski, Norfolk - X​

Ryan Callahan, Hartford​

Tomas Fleischmann, Hershey​

Josh Hennessy, Binghamton​

Andrei Kostitsyn, Hamilton​

Joel Lundqvist, Iowa​

Kip Miller, Grand Rapids (“C”)​

Patrick O'Sullivan, Manchester​

Drew Stafford, Rochester​

Brett Sterling, Chicago - X​

Bill Thomas, San Antonio​

Erik Westrum, Toronto - X​

Defensemen​

Dustin Byfuglien, Norfolk​

Andy Greene, Lowell​

Peter Harrold, Manchester​

Ville Koistinen, Milwaukee​

Matt Lashoff, Providence​

Filip Novak, Syracuse​

Richie Regehr, Omaha - X​

Noah Welch, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - X​

Goaltenders ​

Jaroslav Halak, Hamilton - X​

Karri Ramo, Springfield​

Marek Schwarz, Peoria​

Head Coach: TBD​

Assistant Coach: TBD​

Athletic Trainer: Dan "Beaker" Stuck, Hershey Bears​

Equipment Manager: Justin Kullman, Hershey Bears​

 

[panoo]

AHL All-Star Team Starters

2007 Canadian AHL All-Star Team Starters​

Jason LaBarbera, Goaltender (Manchester Monarchs): Named the American Hockey League’s MVP and top goaltender in 2003-04, Jason LaBarbera ranks second in the AHL this season in minutes played (1,935), second in wins (18), second in save percentage (.930), second in shutouts (four) and first in shots faced (1,077) and saves (1,002) in 33 appearances for Manchester. LaBarbera’s 18-13-1 mark has lifted the Monarchs into first place in the Atlantic Division, and sends the Burnaby, B.C., native to his second AHL All-Star Classic.

Daniel Girardi, Defense (Hartford Wolf Pack): An AHL All-Rookie Team selection last season, Daniel Girardi has been voted to the starting lineup for his first All-Star Classic after tallying 21 points in 38 games for Hartford so far this season. Girardi, a 22-year-old from Welland, Ont., who won a Memorial Cup with London (OHL) in 2005, ranks second among AHL defensemen with 20 assists in 2006-07 after recording eight goals and 31 assists in 66 contests for Hartford a year ago.

Lawrence Nycholat, Defense (Hershey Bears): Making his third consecutive AHL All-Star Classic appearance, Lawrence Nycholat is currently the league’s top-scoring defenseman with 28 points in 29 games for the Bears. Nycholat also sports a plus/minus rating of plus-14 and is serving as captain of the defending Calder Cup champions. The Calgary native has added two goals and four assists for six points in eight NHL games with the Washington Capitals this season, including his first career NHL goal vs. New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur on Dec. 29.

Alexandre Giroux, Forward (Hershey Bears): Perennial scoring threat Alexandre Giroux earns his first AHL All-Star Classic selection this season, having already amassed 27 goals and 41 points in 36 games for Hershey in 2006-07. A native of Quebec City, Giroux is coming off back-to-back 30-goal seasons in the AHL, and rattled off 11 goals during a nine-game stretch with the Bears from Nov. 11-29. The 25-year-old Giroux has also appeared in two NHL games with Washington this year.

Darren Haydar, Forward (Chicago Wolves): Darren Haydar’s historic first half has seen him find the scoresheet in every one of Chicago’s 39 games this season, the longest scoring streak in the 71-year history of the AHL. Averaging better than two points per game, Haydar has racked up 24 goals and 55 assists to go with his league-best plus-23 rating. The AHL’s outstanding rookie in 2002-03 and a two-time Calder Cup Playoff scoring champion, the Toronto native will be making his second AHL All-Star Classic appearance.

Zenon Konopka, Forward (Portland Pirates): Zenon Konopka is back atop the Portland Pirates’ team scoring page with 22 assists and 31 points in 35 games this season, to go along with a plus-16 rating that ranks tied for sixth in the AHL. The native of Niagara Falls, Ont., helped the Pirates to within one win of the Calder Cup Finals last year, posting a team-high 29 points in 19 postseason contests. Konopka, who turned 26 last week, made his NHL debut with Anaheim in 2005-06 and tallied seven points in 23 games for the Ducks.

2007 PlanetUSA AHL All-Star Team Starters​

Jaroslav Halak, Goaltender (Hamilton Bulldogs): The American Hockey League’s leader in goals-against average (1.70), save percentage (.944) and shutouts (five), Jaroslav Halak is shining in his first full AHL season. The 21-year-old from Bratislava, Slovakia, earned the Rbk X-Pulse/AHL Goaltender of the Month award for November after posting a 0.82 GAA and .972 save percentage in eight outings. His eight career AHL shutouts make him the Bulldogs’ franchise leader in that category, doing so with only 33 appearances to his credit.

Richie Regehr, Defense (Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights): Raised in Saskatchewan but born in Indonesia, Richie Regehr has racked up 14 points and an impressive plus-16 rating in 22 AHL games for Omaha in 2006-07, his third professional campaign. The 23-year-old Regehr, who will be making his second consecutive AHL All-Star Classic appearance, has added two points in six NHL games with the Calgary Flames this season, including his first career NHL goal on Dec. 19 at Los Angeles.

Noah Welch, Defense (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins): Voted an All-Star starter for the second time in as many seasons since beginning his pro career, Noah Welch has registered five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 18 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season. Welch, a Harvard product and native of Brighton, Mass., played 18 NHL games during a six-week stint with Pittsburgh earlier this year, tallying a goal and an assist in that time. The 24-year-old Welch was a second-round pick by the Penguins in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Brandon Bochenski, Forward (Norfolk Admirals): Norfolk forward Brandon Bochenski ranks second in the AHL with 28 goals and third with 54 points in 29 games this season, his third out of the University of North Dakota. A native of Blaine, Minn., the 24-year-old winger had 31 points during a 14-game scoring streak from Nov. 12 to Dec. 27, and has three hat tricks this season, including a four-goal game on Nov. 25 vs. Philadelphia. Bochenski also has two goals in 10 NHL outings for the Chicago Blackhawks this year.

Brett Sterling, Forward (Chicago Wolves): Second only to teammate Darren Haydar on the AHL leaderboard with 56 points in 37 games, rookie Brett Sterling leads the entire AHL with 35 goals, including 15 on the power play and five game-winners. The 22-year-old native of Los Angeles won the Rbk Hockey/AHL Rookie of the Month award in both November and December, scoring 30 goals in 26 games during those two months. Sterling was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in both his junior and senior seasons at Colorado College.

Erik Westrum, Forward (Toronto Marlies): Erik Westrum of the hometown Marlies has been voted to the PlanetUSA starting lineup for the second year in a row. The Minneapolis native wound up a First Team AHL All-Star last season after totaling 98 points in 71 games, and has followed up with 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points in 38 games for Toronto in 2006-07. Westrum, who ranks second in the AHL with 149 shots on goal, is also tied for third with four shootout goals (in eight attempts).

 

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2007 AHL All-Star TV Broadcast Schedule

2007 CCM AHL All-Star Skills Competition Sunday, Jan. 28 - 7:00 ET

Rogers Sportsnet - Live

B2 Networks - LIVE and at no charge on theahl.com

NHL Center Ice (U.S. only) - LIVE

New England Sports Network (NESN) - TBA

America One - Thu 2/1, 8:00 PM ET

Sun Sports - Mon 1/29, 3:00 PM ET - Tue 1/30, 12:30 AM ET

Altitude Sports & Entertainment - LIVE

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia - Sun 2/4, 11:00 PM ET

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic - TBA

Comcast SportsNet Chicago - TBA

Comcast SportsNet West - LIVE

Comcast Local (Michigan/Indiana) - LIVE

FSN New York - Sun 1/28, 10:00 PM ET

FSN Pittsburgh - Mon 1/29, 1:00 PM ET

FSN Southwest - TBA

FSN Arizona - TBA

Time Warner Cable Rochester - LIVE

Time Warner Cable Syracuse - LIVE

2007 American Hockey League All-Star Game Monday, Jan. 29 - 7:00 ET

Rogers Sportsnet - Live

B2 Networks - LIVE and at no charge on theahl.com

NHL Center Ice (U.S. only) - LIVE

New England Sports Network (NESN) - LIVE

America One - LIVE

Sun Sports - Tue 1/30, 11:00 AM ET

Altitude Sports & Entertainment - Tue 1/30, 7:00 PM MT

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia - Sun 2/4, 7:00 PM ET

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic - Wed 1/31, 12:00 PM ET

Comcast SportsNet Chicago - Tue 1/30, 1:00 PM CT

Comcast SportsNet West - Fri 2/2, 8:00 PM PT

Comcast Local (Michigan/Indiana) - LIVE

Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast - Tue 1/30, TBA

FSN New York - LIVE

FSN Pittsburgh - Tue 1/30, 12:00 PM ET

FSN Ohio - Tue 1/30, 12:00 PM ET

FSN North - LIVE

FSN Southwest - TBA

FSN Arizona - Mon 1/29, 7:00 PM MT

Time Warner Cable Rochester - LIVE

Time Warner Cable Syracuse - TBA

Mediacom (Iowa) - LIVE

Insight (Peoria) - LIVE

 

[BE-LEAF-ABLE]

Woo! Kris Newbury made it in, though he should really be on the Leafs right now, not on the AHL All-Star team.

Ah well, hope he does well, along with the rest of the Canadian All-Star team.

 

[panoo]

All-Star Classic gets underway tonight

The 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic kicks off tonight with the 2007 CCM AHL All-Star Skills Competition. The AHL's brightest young stars are competing in seven different events:

> InGlasCo Puck Control Relay

> Rbk Hockey Fastest Skater

> RepeatSeat Rapid Fire

> CCM Vector Hardest Shot

> Rbk Hockey Accuracy Shooting

> Rbk Hockey Pass and Score

> CCM Vector Breakaway Relay

The action gets underway at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto at 7:00 p.m. (ET), and you can watch live and at no charge via B2 Networks, or on the AHL All-Star Classic TV Network.

 

[Amanda]

Did anyone watch the skills competition?

Matt Lashoff's shootout goal was awesome!!

 

[panoo]

Yes, I did!!! :thumbsup:

Are you watching the game tomorrow night?

 

[panoo]

PlanetUSA takes Skills Competition, 19-14

TORONTO, Ont. … The PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars opened the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic with a 19-14 victory over their Canadian counterparts in the 2007 CCM AHL All-Star Skills Competition at Ricoh Coliseum on Sunday night.

PlanetUSA defenseman Dustin Byfuglien of the Norfolk Admirals won the CCM Vector Hardest Shot event with a blast clocked at 98.7 miles per hour. Byfuglien joins current NHL’ers Anton Babchuk (2004) and Rene Bourque (2005) as Admirals who have won the event in the last four years.

Erik Westrum of the hometown Toronto Marlies captured the individual InGlasCo Puck Control Relay and the Springfield Falcons’ Karri Ramo was named the winner of the Rbk Hockey Top Goaltender award, stopping 15 of 19 Canadian shots on the night to help PlanetUSA to its third Skills Competition victory in the last four years.

The Rochester Americans’ Clarke MacArthur won the Rbk Hockey Accuracy Shooting event by hitting four targets in five attempts, and Jonathan Filewich of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins took the Rbk Hockey Fastest Skater contest with a time of 14.553 seconds. Curtis McElhinney of the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights helped the Canadian effort by stopping all 10 shots in the RepeatSeat Rapid Fire event.

The PlanetUSA squad will go for the sweep when the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic continues on Monday night with the annual AHL All-Star Game. Coverage from Toronto begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, a series of regional networks in the United States, and at no charge via B2 Networks’ video webcast on theahl.com.

Event 1 - InGlasCo Puck Control Relay
Event 2 - Rbk Hockey Fastest Skater
Event 3 - RepeatSeat Rapid Fire
Event 4 - CCM Vector Hardest Shot
Event 5 - Rbk Hockey Accuracy Shooting
Event 6 - Rbk Hockey Pass and Score
Event 7 - CCM Vector Breakaway Relay

 

[Amanda]

Yes, I did!!! :thumbsup:

Are you watching the game tomorrow night?

Yup... well at least the first hour and the last bit of it, Prison Break is on tomorrow and I can't miss it haha

 

[panoo]

Yup... well at least the first hour and the last bit of it, Prison Break is on tomorrow and I can't miss it haha

There's also NHL on tomorrow night, it will be tough!! LOL

 

[panoo]

Matt Lashoff scores pretty shootout goal as PlanetUSA beats Canada 19-14

Canadian Press
Jan 28, 2007, 9:36 PM EST

TORONTO (CP) - Matt Lashoff has the look of a NHLer - right down to the fancy shootout move.

The Providence Bruins defenceman did his best impression of Marek Malik on Sunday, scoring a breakaway relay goal that helped PlanetUSA to a 19-14 victory over Canada at the American Hockey League all-star skills competition.

Lashoff, a 20-year-old who played for the OHL's Kitchener Rangers last year, dropped the puck between his legs before before beating Wade Dubielewicz. It was reminiscent of the highlight-reel move Malik used to win a shootout for the New York Rangers last year.

"I think I've got a little bit too much time after practice," he said. "You've got to have a little fun out here."

Lashoff has appeared in 12 games for the NHL's Boston Bruins this season. He's not sure if he'd ever try the fancy deke in a shootout at that level.

"That's a game-time decision," Lashoff said with a laugh.

It topped off an entertaining evening at Ricoh Coliseum. The paid attendance was 7,091 but the actual crowd looked closer to 5,000.

Those who were here got a close-up view of the action as the glass along the sides of the rink was removed. The all-stars chatted with fans during the event and stayed on the ice 30 minutes after it was finished to sign autographs.

PlanetUSA's victory in the event avenged a loss to Canada at last year's all-star skills competition in Winnipeg. The world team has won eight of 12 overall.

"Bragging rights were on the line," said Toronto Marlies forward Erik Westrum. "It's good to get the first one out of the way."

The all-star game goes Monday night (7 p.m. ET).

PlanetUSA built a big lead in the early events of the skills competition and Canada was unable to mount a comeback during the breakaway relay, the final event where every goal is scored as a point for the team.

Canadian goalie Curtis McElhinney and PlanetUSA's Karri Ramo each finished with 15 saves to top the goalies in the event.

"I'm optimistic about how many goals I'll let in this weekend," McElhinney said with a laugh. "I'm just trying to have fun with it."

Jonathan Filewich of Kelowna, B.C., won the fastest skater competition for Canada with a time of 14.553 seconds. It was the second slowest time ever to win the event in 12 AHL all-star skills competitions.

The 22-year-old winger for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins couldn't help but laugh afterwards.

"Coaches have always told me I have to work on my speed," he said. "So that's kind of funny."

McElhinney, who plays for Omaha, earned Canada another point in the rapid fire event by stopping all 10 pucks fired his way by PlanetUSA teammates Bill Thomas and Ryan Callahan.

The 23-year-old McElhinney is a sixth-round draft pick of the Calgary Flames and has four shutouts this season. He used a simple strategy during the rapid fire event.

"I was trying to stay in the centre of the net and not slide out of the crease," said the native of London, Ont.

Dustin Byfuglien of the Norfolk Admirals brought the crowd to its feet when he ripped a shot of 98.7 miles per hour during the fastest shot competition. It was the hardest to win the competition since Canada's Rene Bourque hit 99.8 m.p.h. in 2005.

FULL STORY

 

[BE-LEAF-ABLE]

I couldn't see the skills competition today, but I hope to see the game tomorrow night.

I'll want to watch the highlites though. The goal by Lashoff sound amazing.

 

[panoo]

PlanetUSA completes comeback on last second goal

Ryan Callahan took a rebound off of Tomas Fleischmann and went top shelf on Canadian goaltender Curtis McElhinney with three seconds left in regulation to give PlanetUSA a 7-6 victory over the Canadian All-Stars at Ricoh Coliseum on Monday night. PlanetUSA came back from a 5-2 deficit in the second period to complete a 2007AHL All-Star Classic sweep, winning the Skill Competition last night.

 

[BE-LEAF-ABLE]

Tough loss last night. One of the d-men pinched in and let PlanetUSA get a 2-on-1, which they scored on with jus t3.9 seconds left in the game.

I couldn't believe it. That's a sad way to lose. The Canadian All-Star team Goaltender (McElhinney?) had no chance at all on that one. He made a huge save, and the rebound landed to a stick fo the guy right beside him.

He shot it passed him and the goalie just dropped to the ice in heartbreaking fashion.

It was just an All-star game, but it's never fun to lose.

By the way, I saw the gola by lashoff. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I haven't see ANYTHING like it. Another new move for Hockey. Truely spectacular!

 

[BE-LEAF-ABLE]

Here it is, for those who want to see it:

YouTube - Matt Lashoff AHL All-Stars Skills Goal