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Couture And Groulx Named To Canadian AHL All-Star Team

December 29, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Worcester Sharks News Release


WORCESTER - Worcester Sharks President and CEO Michael T. Lehr in conjunction with the American Hockey League announced this afternoon that rookie forward Logan Couture and veteran defenseman Danny Groulx of the Worcester Sharks have been selected to play for the Canadian AHL All-Star Team in the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic being held January 18th and 19th at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. Couture was named a starter for the Canadian All-Star Team.

Couture, a 20 year-old rookie forward from Guelph, Ontario, will start for the Canadian All-Star Team. He currently leads the Worcester Sharks in scoring with 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in just 20 games. His 29 points are tops among rookies in the AHL and his 11 goals are tied for the most among freshmen players. Logan also has a goal and an assist this season in his first 11 games in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks.

Groulx, a 28 year-old veteran defenseman from LaSalle, Quebec, was named an AHL All-Star in this, his 7th full season in the AHL. He currently leads Worcester Sharks defensemen with three goals and 18 assists for 21 points. His 21 points are 8th among defensemen in the AHL and his 94 shots on goal are first among blue line skaters. Groulx has skated in 140 straight AHL games and is 4th among defensemen with 18 assists.

Former AHL All-Stars for the Worcester Sharks include: Mathieu Darche (2007), Mike Iggulden (2008), Derek Joslin (2009), and Ryan Vesce (2009)

Among the members of the Canadian team are 17 first-time AHL All-Stars including Manchester's Jonathan Bernier, Hamilton's Cedrick Desjardins and Texas's Brent Krahn, who are the AHL's top three goaltenders in both goals-against average and save percentage. The Canadian squad also features six former NHL first-round draft picks including Logan Couture and Tyler Ennis of the Worcester Sharks, the top two rookie scorers in the league. Players on the Canadian roster with previous All-Star experience include Binghamton's Martin St. Pierre and Hartford's Corey Locke, who are tied for the event's all-time scoring lead with eight career points each.

The PlanetUSA AHL All-Star team roster will be announced tomorrow (Wednesday).

Tickets for the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic - which include admission to both the Skills Competition and the AHL All-Star Game as well as an official commemorative All-Star Classic event program - are $49 (rows 1-12 in all sections) and $42 (rows 13-24 in all sections). To purchase tickets call (207) 775-3458, visit the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or go on-line at www.portlandpirates.com.

2010 Canadian AHL All-Star Team

Goaltenders x-Jonathan Bernier, Manchester Cedrick Desjardins, Hamilton Brent Krahn, Texas

Defensemen x-Nolan Baumgartner, Manitoba ("C") Tyler Eckford, Lowell

Keaton Ellerby, Rochester Danny Groulx, Worcester Mark Katic, Bridgeport Maxim Noreau, Houston Bryan Rodney, Albany

x-P.K. Subban, Hamilton

Forwards x-Logan Couture, Worcester Tyler Ennis, Portland x-Alexandre Giroux, Hershey Andrew Gordon, Hershey Darren Haydar, Lake Erie Jason Jaffray, Abbotsford x-Dustin Jeffrey, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Ryan Keller, Binghamton Charles Linglet, Springfield Corey Locke, Hartford Jon Matsumoto, Adirondack Cal O'Reilly, Milwaukee Martin St. Pierre, Binghamton

x-starters

Head Coach: Mark French, Hershey Bears Assistant Coach: Troy Mann, Hershey Bears Athletic Trainer: Dan Stuck, Hershey Bears Equipment Manager: Justin Kullman, Hershey Bears

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2010 Canadian AHL All-Star Team Starters

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Jonathan Bernier, Goaltender (Manchester Monarchs): The Reebok/AHL Goaltender of the Month for October, second-year pro Jonathan Bernier is tied for the league lead with 16 wins in 26 appearances (16-8-2) for the Atlantic-leading Manchester Monarchs. A first-round draft pick (11th overall) by the parent Los Angeles Kings in 2006, the 21-year-old native of Laval, Que., ranks third in the AHL in goals-against average (1.88), second in save percentage (.944), second in minutes played (1,528), and tied for second with four shutouts.

Nolan Baumgartner, Defense (Manitoba Moose): Veteran defenseman and Canadian All-Star team captain Nolan Baumgartner shows one goal - an overtime game-winner on Oct. 19 at Hamilton - and six assists in 24 games for Manitoba this season. The Calgary native began his pro career in Portland after being drafted 10th overall by Washington in 1994, and has gone on to play 739 AHL contests, including 306 for the Moose. Previously an AHL All-Star in 2005 and 2007, Baumgartner helped Manitoba to the Calder Cup Finals in 2009, and has also appeared in 131 career NHL games.

P.K. Subban, Defense (Hamilton Bulldogs): Twenty-year-old P.K. Subban ranks third among rookie AHL defensemen with 20 points (7-13-20) in 32 games for Hamilton this season. A second-round draft pick by Montreal in 2007, Subban scored a goal in three straight outings from Nov. 20-24 and registered a season-high three points (1-2-3) on Dec. 19 at Hartford. The native of Rexdale, Ont., has scored four of his seven goals on the power play and is tied for the overall AHL lead with a plus-17 rating.

Logan Couture, Forward (Worcester Sharks): Center Logan Couture has been one of the American Hockey League's most dynamic newcomers this season, leading all AHL rookies with 11 goals (tied) and 29 points in just 20 games for Worcester. Tops in the league with six game-winning tallies, the 20-year-old native of London, Ont., has picked up at least one point in 17 of his 20 AHL outings thus far. Drafted ninth overall in 2007, Couture also has a goal and an assist in 11 NHL games for San Jose this season.

Alexandre Giroux, Forward (Hershey Bears): Coming off a season in which he won league MVP honors, a scoring title and the Calder Cup, Hershey's Alexandre Giroux has shown no signs of slowing down. The Quebec City native has registered 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points in 23 games for the Bears this season and has also contributed a goal and two assists in nine NHL games with Washington. Giroux, whose 75 regular-season and playoff goals in 2008-09 were an all-time league record, reached the 500-point plateau for his AHL career on Dec. 19.

Dustin Jeffrey, Forward (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins): Dustin Jeffrey leads Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and is tied for second in the AHL with 35 points (10-25-35) in 31 games, already just two points shy of the total he put up in 63 games as a rookie in 2008-09. The 21-year-old Jeffrey has six three-point efforts this season and went on a six-game scoring streak from Oct. 30 to Nov. 13. The native of Sarnia, Ont., made his pro debut during Wilkes-Barre's run to the 2008 Calder Cup Finals, and also shows three points in 14 career NHL games with Pittsburgh.

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