AHL Manchester Monarchs

Ersberg, Doughty Selected For Youngstars Event At 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend

January 9, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


LOS ANGELES, CA - Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and goaltender Erik Ersberg have been selected to participate in the YoungStars event as part of the 2009 NHL All-Star Weekend in Montreal, the NHL announced today.

Doughty, 19, has played in all 40 games with the Kings this season, his first in the NHL, recording 12 points (3-9=12) and 32 penalty minutes. He leads all NHL rookies (and the Kings) with 23:54 average time-on-ice and has played at least 20 minutes in 37 games (25-plus minutes 18 games and a season-high 29:04 Nov. 22 vs. Colorado). He also leads all rookies with 51 blocked shots and his 12 points ranks third among first-year defensemen. He was a runner-up for Rookie of the Month honors in November.

Selected by the Kings in the first-round (2nd overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the 6-1, 203-pounder from London, Ontario became the fifth youngest player (second youngest defenseman) to appear in a game for the Kings when he suited up on Opening Night (Oct. 11) at San Jose.

Ersberg, 26, will be the first-ever Kings goaltender to participate in the YoungStars event. He has played in 19 games with the Kings this season, his second in the NHL, and has an 8-6-2 record, a 2.36 goals-against-average and a .904 save-percentage. His 2.36 goals-against average is 10th best in the NHL. In Ersberg's 17 starts this season, he has allowed two-or-fewer goals 12 times and has allowed more than three goals in a game only once. He started in a career-high 10 straight games from Nov. 4 to Nov. 25 and won a career-high four straight games from Nov. 6 to Nov. 13.

Signed by the Kings as a free agent on May 31, 2007, the 6-0, 168-pounder from Sala, Sweden, is 14-11-5 with a 2.41 goals-against-average, .916 save-percentage and two shutouts in 33 career appearances, all with the Kings. In 30 appearances with the Manchestr Monarchs during the 2007-08 season, Ersberg collected a 10-13-2 record, a 2.92 goals-against-average and a .897 save-percentage.

Ersberg and Doughty are the fourth and fifth members of the Kings organization to be selected to the YoungStars game/event as part of the NHL All-Star festivities, joining Alexander Frolov (2002), Anze Kopitar (2007) and Jack Johnson (2008).

The Kings hosted the inaugural YoungStars game at STAPLES Center in 2002, where Team Melrose defeated Team Fox by a score of 13-7. Ilya Kovalchuk had seven goals for Team Melrose and Roberto Luongo earned the win with 37 saves.

Ersberg and Doughty will be joined in Montreal by Kings captain/forward Dustin Brown, who was selected to play in his first NHL All-Star Game.



American Hockey League Stories from January 9, 2009


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