Bochenski and Pothier to join Spezza at 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic
January 27, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Binghamton Senators News Release
BINGHAMTON â Winger Brandon Bochenski and defenseman Brian Pothier were announced as members of the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star team a day after center Jason Spezza was named to the Canadian squad. Bochenski and Pothier will find themselves on the opposite team of Spezza, the league's leading scorer, at the 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic to be held on Feb. 14 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H.
Brian Pothier is third among all AHL defenseman in scoring with 30 points (7 goals, 23 assists) in 45 games this season. He will be making his second appearance in the AHL All-Star Classic and last appeared as a member of the Binghamton Senators in 2003.
First-year winger Brandon Bochenski leads all rookies in scoring with 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) and will be making his first appearance in an all-star game since 2001 during his rookie year in the United States Hockey League with the Lincoln Stars. Bochenski was drafted by the Ottawa Senators with their ninth selection (223rd overall) in the 2001 NHL entry draft.
Bochenski will be reunited on the PlanetUSA team with Albany forward Zach Parise, a team mate last season at the University of North Dakota. Both players were finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in U.S. college hockey last season.
Bochenski becomes the fifth Binghamton Senator to be selected for the AHL All-Star Classic. Goalie Ray Emery, Pothier and Spezza played in the 2003 game in Portland, Maine and Emery and defenseman Julien Vauclair traveled to Grand Rapids, Mich. for the 2004 game.
The PlanetUSA team comprises players born in the United States and Europe. AHL fans determined the starting lineup via on-line balloting at theahl.com, while a committee of AHL coaches selected the remainder of the roster. Spezza was voted a starter on Wednesday for the Canadian team alongside forwards Michel Ouellet of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Mike Cammalleri of Manchester.
Of the 328 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 92 percent have competed in the NHL, including Daniel Briere, Andrew Brunette, Anson Carter, Pavol Demitra, Rick DiPietro, J.P. Dumont, Patrik Elias, Manny Legace, John Madden, Ladislav Nagy, Vaclav Prospal, Martin St. Louis, Marc Savard, Steve Sullivan and Tomas Vokoun.
The 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic will take place at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H., home of the AHL's Manchester Monarchs. The event gets underway on Sunday, February 13, with the 2005 AHL All-Star Skills Competition at 7:00 p.m. (ET). The annual All-Star Game follows at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Monday, February 14, and will be televised live nationally on ESPN2 in the United States and on Rogers Sportnet in Canada.
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