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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Head Coach Rob Zettler and Forward Brett Connolly Named to AHL All-Star Team

January 9, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY - The American Hockey League has selected Syracuse Crunch Head Coach Rob Zettler and right wing Brett Connolly to represent the AHL at the 2014 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Assante Wealth Management, to take place Feb. 11 and 12 at the Mile One Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Zettler, alongside Jeff Blashill of the Grand Rapids Griffins, will coach a team of AHL All-Stars when they face off against Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League in the two-day event, which will include the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Feb. 11 and the AHL All-Star Game on Feb. 12. This is the second consecutive year the Crunch head coach has appeared at the AHL All-Star Classic after Jon Cooper appeared in 2013.

Connolly currently ranks third on the Crunch among active players in scoring with nine goals and 14 assists in the 24 games he appeared in this season. He has also appeared in 11 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning where he recorded one point (1g).

The 6-foot-2, 181-pound forward is currently on an eight-game point streak, the second longest active point streak in the AHL. During the eight-game span Connolly has recorded 16 points (7g, 9a). Over the past three games, the Prince George, BC native is averaging a point per period. He has also recorded the game-winning goal in the Crunch's last four victories. Connolly was selected in the 1st round, 6th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

In 20 seasons, Syracuse has now had 31 players selected to participate in the AHL All-Star Classic. Previous selections include Lonny Bohonos and Scott Walker (1994-95), Brian Loney (1995-96), Larry Courville and John Namestnikov (1996-97), Mark Wotton and Robert Dome (1997-98), Boris Protsenko and Valentin Morozov (1998-99), Harold Druken and Chris O'Sullivan (1999-00), Mike Gaul (2000-01), Derrick Walser and Duvie Westcott (2001-02), Karl Goehring (2002-03), Aaron Johnson (2003-04), Alexander Svitov (2004-05), Andy Delmore and Mark Hartigan (2005-06), Filip Novak (2006-07), Derick Brassard, Joakim Lindstrom and Clay Wilson (2007-08), Nikita Filatov and Derek MacKenzie (2008-09), Dan Fritsche (2009-10), Kyle Palmieri (2010-11 & 2011-12) and Mark Barberio, Tyler Johnson, Radko Gudas and Richard Panik (2012-13).

A limited number of tickets remain available for the 2014 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Assante Wealth Management. They can be purchase in person in person at the Mile One Centre box office (12-5 NT), by phone at 709-576-7657 (9:30-5:30 NT), or online at www.mileonecentre.com. Tickets for the two-day event are $100 (plus taxes and surcharges) and include admission to both the All-Star Skills Competition on Feb. 11 and the All-Star Game on Feb. 12.

The 2014 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Assante Wealth Management will be the 20th edition of the modern AHL All-Star event, and the first to feature an international opponent. Of the 630 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since the event was reinstated in 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Daniel Briere, Ryan Callahan, Zdeno Chara, Jimmy Howard, Niklas Kronwall, Chris Kunitz, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Bobby Ryan, Martin St. Louis, Cory Schneider, Patrick Sharp, Jason Spezza and Eric Staal.

Single and season tickets for 2013-14 can be purchased either in person at the Crunch Box Office located at the War Memorial on 800 South State Street in Syracuse, or by calling the office at (315) 473- 4444. For all the latest Crunch information and updates, fans can visit the team's official website at www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch and on Twitter (@SyracuseCrunch).

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