Griffins Land Three on AHL All-Star Teams
Published on March 28, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release
Grand Rapids, Mich. - Three members of the Grand Rapids Griffins have been named to the American Hockey League's 2002-03 All-Star Teams, the league announced today. Goaltender Marc Lamothe was tabbed for the First All-Star Team, while left wing Michel Picard and right wing Mark Mowers were Second Team honorees, as voted by AHL players and media in each of the league's 28 member cities.
Befitting their current status as the top team in the Western Conference, the Central Division champion Griffins have greater representation on the AHL's honor roll than any other team, garnering one-quarter of the total selections. Lamothe, 29, is the primary force behind Grand Rapids' top-ranked defense, which is threatening the league record for fewest goals allowed in one season. The ninth-year pro will finish the season as the AHL leader in wins, as his current total of 32 is eight more than any other goalie and just two shy of Grand Rapids' team record.
Lamothe, who represented the Griffins at the 2003 AHL All-Star Classic in Portland, Maine, also paces the circuit with 56 games (tied) and 3,220 minutes played, while ranking among the league's best with a 2.11 goals against average (2nd), five shutouts (3rd) and 1,363 saves (4th).
The native of New Liskeard, Ontario, follows in the footsteps of former Griffin Martin Prusek, who was named the AHL's First Team goaltender in 2001-02. Grand Rapids is the first AHL team since the Portland Pirates (1994 Byron Dafoe, 1995 Jim Carey) to boast First Team goalies in back-to-back seasons.
In addition, Lamothe becomes the fourth consecutive Griffins netminder to be named to his league's postseason all-star team, joining Prusek, Mike Fountain (2001 IHL Second Team) and Jani Hurme (2000 IHL Second Team).
The 33-year-old Picard is chasing his first scoring title while enjoying perhaps the most complete season of his illustrious career. The 14-year veteran currently leads the AHL with 79 points (29-50-79) and is tied for second with 50 assists, while his nine power play tallies tie for tops on the Griffins. Setting a standard of consistency for his team's offense, only once this season has Picard been held scoreless in more than two consecutive games.
Picard, who ranks third on the AHL's active career scoring list with 579 points (263-316-579) in 501 games, has earned postseason honors with three other AHL teams, including a pair of First Team selections (1995 P.E.I and 1991 Springfield) and a Second Team choice (1994 Portland). He was also named an IHL First Team All-Star as a member of the Griffins in 1997, when he scored a franchise-record 101 points (46-55-101).
Should the Beauport, Quebec, native finish the season as the league's leading scorer, it would mark the sixth time in the last nine years that the AHL's points champion was left off the First All-Star Team.
Pairing with Picard to form the league's most dynamic duo, the 29-year-old Mowers has established career-highs in nearly every offensive category this season. His 76 points (31-45-76) stand third in the league's scoring derby, his 31 goals tie for seventh and his plus-27 rating leads all AHL forwards and ties for fifth overall.
Mowers, who played against Lamothe at this year's AHL All-Star Classic, earned the first postseason all-star mention of his five-year career by proving to be a force down the season's home stretch. Since the Griffins began play on Feb. 12 with a nine-point deficit to Houston in the Western Conference standings, the Decatur, Georgia, product has registered points in 17 of 21 contests, helping Grand Rapids blow past and build a four-point lead over the Aeros. Curiously, both Picard and Mowers have scored more points this season than the First Team selections at their respective positions, Houston's Jean-Guy Trudel (77) and Hamilton's Jason Ward (72). Also joining Lamothe on the First Team are Providence center Matt Herr, and defensemen Ray Giroux (Albany) and Curtis Murphy (Houston).
Albany's Craig Darby was chosen as the Second Team center, with Portland goalie Maxime Ouellet and defensemen Marc-Andre Bergeron (Hamilton) and Brian Pothier (Binghamton) rounding out the squad.
With three all-stars, the Griffins tie a franchise record set during the 2000-01 season, when left wing Derek King (First Team), defenseman Travis Richards (Second Team) and Fountain were honored by the IHL.
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