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Syracuse Crunch

Nikita Filatov Named to PlanetUSA Starting Lineup for 2009 AHL All-Star Classic

January 7, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY (January 7, 2009) - The Syracuse Crunch, along with the American Hockey League, announced today that center Nikita Filatov was named to the starting lineup for the PlanetUSA team at the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Charter Communications on January 25 - 26 at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. AHL fans determined the starting lineups via online balloting at theahl.com.

Filatov, 18, has skated in 23 games for the Crunch this season, collecting seven goals, 10 assists and 10 penalty minutes. He scored his first AHL goal in his professional debut, October 10 at Rochester and registered a Crunch individual season-high (tied) four-game point-scoring streak (2g, 6a) from November 7 - 12.

He was recalled by Columbus on October 15 and scored his first NHL goal in his first game, October 17 vs. Nashville.

Filatov recently captained Team Russia to a bronze medal finish at the 2009 World Junior Championships where he led his team and finished tied for fourth in the tournament in scoring with 11 points (8g, 3a), in seven games.

Filatov becomes the fifth player in team history voted to a starting lineup (Joakim Lindstrom - PlanetUSA, 2008) (Mark Wotton - Canadian, 1998), (Chris O'Sullivan - PlanetUSA, 2000), (Mike Gaul - Canadian, 2001).

A native of Moscow, Russia, Filatov was drafted by Columbus in the first round, sixth overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

The 2009 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Charter Communications will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League competing in the 2009 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, January 25 (4:00 p.m. ET), and the 2009 AHL All-Star Game on Monday, January 26 (7:00 p.m. ET). The event will be televised nationally in the United States and Canada.

The Crunch's next game is Wednesday, January 7 as they travel to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to battle the Penguins. The Crunch return home on January 16 as they take on the Albany River Rats at the War Memorial at Oncenter at 7:30 p.m.

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