AHL Rochester Americans

Canada Posts 18-12 Victory In AHL All-Star Skills Competition

Published on January 19, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Portland, Maine)... The Canadian AHL All-Stars opened the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic with an 18-12 victory over their PlanetUSA counterparts in the 2010 Ducks Unlimited AHL All-Star Skills Competition at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Monday evening.

Rochester Americans first-year goaltender Alexander Salak got things started in the third heat of the RBC Rapid Fire event, stopping six of 10 shots between Hamilton's PK Subban and Worcester's Logan Couture.

Keaton Ellerby tested his strength during the Reebok Hardest Shot competition and finished second among the four-man group of Canadian All-Stars with a 93.7 mile-per-hour slapshot. Ellerby would place fifth overall in the event.

PlanetUSA All-Stars captain Graham Mink, in his first-ever All-Star Classic, scored the only goal in the second heat of the McDonald's Pass and Score Relay. Mink was teamed up with Syracuse's Dan Fritsche and Texas' Ivan Vishnevskiy while going up against Hamilton Bulldogs goaltender Cedrick Desjardins.

In the fifth heat of the McDonald's Pass and Score Relay, Ellerby, along with Springfield's Charles Linglet and Binghamton's Ryan Keller, were you able to put two of three attempts past Salak to help the Canadians All-Stars to a 5-2 score over the PlanetUSA All-Stars in the individual event.

Salak shined in the final event of the Skills Competition, the EA Sports NHL 10 Breakaway Relay, stopping five of six shooters in the third round. Portland's own Tyler Ennis was the lone culprit who was able to beat Salak with a nifty backhand that stymied the rookie netminder through the five-hole.

Canadian forward Blair Jones of the Norfolk Admirals claimed the Reebok Hardest Shot contest with a blast clocked at 100.7 miles per hour, becoming just the fourth AHL player in the event's history to top the century mark. Jon Matsumoto from the Adirondack Phantoms recorded the best mark in the Ducks Unlimited Accuracy Shooting event by hitting four of five targets.

Desjardins claimed the Reebok Top Goaltender award by stopping 16 of 19 shots for the Canadian side. Desjardins, a second-year pro, entered the league's midseason showcase ranking second in the AHL in goals-against average (1.81), tied for fifth in save percentage (.929), and first in shutouts (5) in 26 games for the North Division-leading Bulldogs.

PlanetUSA defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti set an event record by completing the Reebok Fastest Skater competition in 13.677 seconds. A first-round draft pick (21st overall) by the New York Rangers in 2006, the 21-year-old Sanguinetti hit the All-Star break with 26 points (6-20-26) in 38 games as a second-year pro for Hartford.

Desjardins combined with Albany's Justin Peters (12 saves) and Manchester's Jonathan Bernier (12 saves) to help the Canadian AHL All-Stars halt a three-year losing streak in the Skills Competition.

The Canadian squad will go for the sweep when the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic continues tonight with the annual AHL All-Star Game. Amerks fans can watch the 6:00 p.m. game from County Civic Center in Portland, Maine live on Time Warner Cable SportsNet Channel 26.

Salak will get the start in goal for the PlanetUSA squad, while Mink will serve as the team captain. They will take on Ellerby and the Canadian All-Stars.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 19, 2010


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