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AHL All-Rookie Team Announced

March 27, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


SPRINGFIELD, MA ... The American Hockey League announced today the 2002-03 AHL All-Rookie Team, as voted by AHL players and media in each of the league's 28 member cities.

Because of a tie in the voting, the team consists of one goaltender, two defensemen and four forwards.

2002-03 AHL All-Rookie Team Goaltender Ray Emery Binghamton Senators 24-16-5, 2.45gaa, .922 sv%, 6so
Defenseman Mike Komisarek Hamilton Bulldogs 56gp, 5+25=30pts., +27
Defenseman Filip Novak San Antonio Rampage 57gp, 10+17=27pts., +5
Forward Brad Boyes Cleveland Barons 73gp, 27+30=57pts.
Forward Darren Haydar Milwaukee Admirals 69gp, 27+44=71pts.
Forward Jason Spezza Binghamton Senators 43gp, 22+32=54pts.
Forward Antoine Vermette Binghamton Senators 74gp, 34+25=59pts.

Each All-Rookie Team member will receive a custom designed crystal award in recognition of his selection to the 2002-03 AHL All-Rookie Team.

Previous selections to the annual AHL All-Rookie Team include Dan Cloutier (1997), Mike Leclerc (1997), Jean-Sebastien Giguere (1998), Zdeno Chara (1998), Brendan Morrison (1998), Marc Savard (1998), Daniel Briere (1998), J.P. Dumont (1999), Robert Esche (1999), Dmitri Kalinin (2000), Rico Fata (2000), Jonathan Cheechoo (2001), Tyler Arnason (2002) and Barret Jackman (2002).

Ray Emery, Goaltender (Binghamton Senators): A 2001 draft pick of the Ottawa Senators, Ray Emery made a successful transition to the pro game after being named the Canadian Major Junior Goaltender of the Year in 2002. The 20-year-old native of Cayuga, Ont., owns a record of 24-16-5 in 45 AHL contests, and his six shutouts are one off the league lead. The winning goaltender in the 2003 AHL All-Star Game, Emery has also appeared in three NHL contests with Ottawa, making his NHL debut on Jan. 8 and earning his first victory on Mar. 21 at Atlanta.

Mike Komisarek, Defense (Hamilton Bulldogs): Mike Komisarek, the seventh overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, leads all AHL rookie defensemen in scoring with 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) in 56 games with league-leading Hamilton this season, and his plus-27 rating is tops among all first-year AHL players. The 21-year-old from Islip Terrace, N.Y., was named to the starting lineup of the PlanetUSA team at the 2003 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic, and has also played 16 NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens this season.

Filip Novak, Defense (San Antonio Rampage): Selected in the second round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers, Filip Novak has recorded 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points in 57 games with the first-year Rampage this season. The 20-year-old native of Ceske Budejovice, Czech Rep., participated in the 2003 AHL All-Star Game, and ranks second among San Antonio defensemen in scoring and third in plus/minus rating. Novak was acquired by the Florida Panthers as part of the Pavel Bure trade in March 2002.

Brad Boyes, Forward (Cleveland Barons): A first-round draft pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2000, Brad Boyes played 65 games with St. John's this season before being acquired by the San Jose Sharks as part of the deal for Owen Nolan on Mar. 5. In 73 AHL contests overall this season, Boyes, 20, is third in the league in rookie scoring with 57 points and ranks tied for second with 27 goals. The native of Mississauga, Ont., played for the Canadian team at the 2003 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic last month.

Darren Haydar, Forward (Milwaukee Admirals): The top scorer among AHL rookies this season, Darren Haydar is Milwaukee's leader in goals (27), assists (44), points (71), game-winning goals (8) and plus/minus rating (+21) while skating in 69 games for the Admirals. The 23-year-old Toronto native, who was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award at the University of New Hampshire last year, has also played two NHL games with Nashville in 2002-03. Haydar recorded two goals and an assist for the Canadian team at the 2003 AHL All-Star Game.

Jason Spezza, Forward (Binghamton Senators): The second overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, 19-year-old Jason Spezza has picked up 22 goals and 32 assists for 54 points in 43 games with Binghamton this season. His 1.26 points-per-game average is second-highest in the entire AHL, and he has added six goals and nine assists in 28 NHL contests with Ottawa this year. Voted to the Canadian starting lineup for the 2003 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic, Spezza, a native of Mississauga, Ont., currently ranks fourth on the AHL's rookie scoring list.

Antoine Vermette, Forward (Binghamton Senators): The third member of Binghamton's outstanding rookie trio, Antoine Vermette has burst onto the AHL scene this season after missing most of the 2001-02 season with a neck injury. A second-round draft pick by Ottawa in 2000, the native of St.-Agapit, Que., leads all rookies and ranks second overall in the AHL with 34 goals this season, including a team-high 13 power play markers. Vermette, 20, also ranks second in the rookie scoring race with 59 points while leading the B-Sens' push for an East Division title.

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