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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Hudler and Kronwall Selected at PlanetUSA All-Stars

January 8, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


Grand Rapids, Mich. - The American Hockey League on Thursday announced that Grand Rapids Griffins forward Jiri Hudler and defenseman Niklas Kronwall have been selected to play for the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star Team at the 2004 Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic, which will be held Feb. 8-9 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

The AHL also announced that defenseman Travis Richards, who was named captain of the PlanetUSA All-Stars on Dec. 19, was chosen as a starter for the All-Star Game via fan voting on the internet.

Coupled with forward Nathan Robinson's selection to the Canadian AHL All-Star Team on Wednesday, the Griffins will have four players participating in the all-star festivities before their home crowd, tying Hamilton and Manchester for the greatest representation. The quartet matches the Griffins' record all-star bounty of 2001, when current NHL players John Gruden, Kip Miller, Martin Prusek and Petr Schastlivy were tabbed for the AHL's mid-season showcase.

Although not technically rookies due to their experience playing in European elite leagues, Hudler and Kronwall have made a tremendous impact during their first professional seasons in North America.

Hudler, who turned 20 only four days ago, has split this season between the Griffins and the parent Detroit Red Wings. Despite appearing in just 15 of Grand Rapids' 36 games thus far, the Olomouc, Czech Republic, native leads the Griffins with a plus-11 rating, ties for second with 12 assists and ranks fourth with 16 points. Hudler, who was recalled to Detroit on Dec. 9, is expected to return to Grand Rapids later today.

Detroit's first choice (58th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Hudler made a spectacular AHL debut on Oct. 24, scoring two goals and adding an assist to overshadow Curtis Joseph's 20-save effort in a 4-1 win over Utah. He owned a six-game point streak (2-7-9) as of his December recall, and has contributed three points (1-2-3) in 12 games with Detroit this season.

During the recent IIHF World Junior Championship in Finland, Hudler captained the Czech team to a fourth-place finish by notching five points (2-3-5) in seven games.

Kronwall, who will turn 23 on Jan. 12, played in each of the Griffins' first 25 games this season. Despite being on recall to the Red Wings since Dec. 9, he still paces all Grand Rapids defensemen with 11 assists and 13 points, and his plus-six rating ties for third overall on the club.

Selected by the Red Wings in the first round (29th overall) of the 2000 draft, the native of Stockholm, Sweden, has appeared in each of Detroit's last 15 contests, contributing four assists, a plus-four rating and 16 penalty minutes while logging over 14 minutes of ice time per game.

In addition to the three Griffins, the PlanetUSA squad is stocked with several other players familiar to hockey fans in the state of Michigan.

Binghamton forward Josh Langfeld and defenseman Julien Vauclair each played for the Griffins during the 2001-02 season, Rochester goaltender Ryan Miller won the Hobey Baker Award in 2001 at Michigan State University, while Langfeld, Providence forward Matt Herr and Hamilton defenseman Mike Komisarek each starred at the University of Michigan.

To purchase tickets or obtain more information regarding the 2004 Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic, which consists of the All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Feb. 8 and the All-Star Game on Monday, Feb. 9, fans may call the Griffins office at (616) 774-4585 or (800) 2-HOCKEY, or visit griffinshockey.com/all-star.

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