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Connolly, Krug, Hellberg Named American Hockey League Award Winners

March 1, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


SYRACUSE CRUNCH RIGHT WING BRETT CONNOLLY NAMED CCM/AHL PLAYER OF THE MONTH

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League announced today that Syracuse Crunch right wing Brett Connolly has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Month for February.

Connolly played 13 games for the Crunch last month and found the scoresheet in 12 of them, totaling seven goals, eight assists, 15 points and a plus-6 rating to help Syracuse reclaim first place in the East Division.

Connolly began the month with a nine-game scoring streak, including a two-goal effort in the Crunch's 4-2 win over Adirondack on Feb. 8. He recorded a goal and an assist in a 7-1 win at Binghamton on Feb. 15 and again in a 5-3 decision at Albany on Feb. 18, and assisted on the game-winning goals in each of Syracuse's last three games - Feb. 23 vs. Springfield, Feb. 24 vs. Connecticut and Feb. 26 at Rochester - as the Crunch finished the month on an eight-game winning streak.

Connolly, a 20-year-old native of Campbell River, B.C., was a first-round draft pick (sixth overall) by Tampa Bay in 2010. He is currently tied for fourth in the AHL in scoring with 49 points (22 goals, 27 assists) in 53 games for Syracuse this season, his second professional campaign. As a rookie in 2011-12, Connolly skated in 68 NHL games with the Lightning, registering four goals and 11 assists. The Canadian Hockey League's rookie of the year in 2008-09, Connolly won medals with Canada at the World Junior Championships in 2011 (silver) and 2012 (bronze).

In recognition of his achievement, Connolly will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Crunch home game.

PROVIDENCE BRUINS DEFENSEMAN TOREY KRUG NAMED CCM/AHL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League announced today that Providence Bruins defenseman Torey Krug has been selected as the CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month for February.

Krug tallied four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 11 games to help the Bruins remain in the hunt for the Atlantic Division title.

Krug began the month by scoring the game-winning goal and adding an assist in a 5-1 victory over Albany on Feb. 1. He set up the game-winner in a 2-0 win at Worcester the next night, and scored the decisive goal again as part of a two-point effort in a 3-2 decision vs. Manchester on Feb. 10. Krug notched two assists on Feb. 12 at Manchester before converting in the eighth shootout round to give the Bruins a 5-4 win, and scored a goal on Feb. 16 at Bridgeport to extend his scoring streak to 10 games, tied for the longest by an AHL rookie this season.

Krug now has 26 points in 44 games with Providence this season and ranks second among all AHL rookie defensemen with nine goals. The 21-year-old native of Livonia, Mich., played three seasons at Michigan State University and was the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's player of the year in 2011-12. He signed as a free agent with Boston on Mar. 25, 2012, and made his NHL debut with the Bruins late last season, registering one assist in two games.

In recognition of his achievement, Krug will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Bruins home game.

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS' MAGNUS HELLBERG NAMED CCM/AHL GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League announced today that Magnus Hellberg of the Milwaukee Admirals has been selected as the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for February.

In eight appearances during the month, Hellberg was 6-1-0 with a 1.36 goals-against average, a .950 save percentage and two shutouts for the Admirals.

Entering February on a personal six-game losing streak, Hellberg was perfect (six saves) in one period of relief work vs. Chicago on Feb. 1, and then got back in the win column on Feb. 10 with a 30-save effort in a 1-0 shutout win over Peoria. He made 29 stops and was named the game's first star in a 2-1 win over Abbotsford on Feb. 12, and later picked up his sixth consecutive victory with 25 saves in a 2-0 win at Hamilton on Feb. 24.

Hellberg, 21, was a second-round choice (38th overall) by the Nashville Predators in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The native of Uppsala, Sweden, is in his first season of play in North America and owns a record of 10-7-0 with a 2.40 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and two shutouts in 20 games with the Admirals.

In recognition of his achievement, Hellberg will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Admirals home game.

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