Pivko, Rinne Selected for AHL All-Star Game
January 11, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Milwaukee Admirals News Release
Milwaukee, WI--The American Hockey League announced today that Milwaukee Admirals forward Libor Pivko and goaltender Pekka Rinne have been selected as members of the PlanetUSA team for the 2006 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on January 31 and February 1.
Pivko currently ranks second on the Admirals with 33 points (6g-27a), in spite of only playing 28 games. His 27 assists are tops on the Ads roster, and his 11 multi-point games are tied for the team lead. The Novy Vicin, Czech Republic native has posted a five-game scoring streak this season and has picked up three or more points in a game on four different occasions.
"His play has been great for us this season," noted Admirals Head Coach Claude Noel. "Libor does everything for us. He is a great penalty killer, great in five-on-five, and now he has become great on the power play."
In his third season with Milwaukee, Pivko has 22 goals and 52 assists for 74 points and 140 penalty minutes in 151 games in an Admirals sweater. Nashville's third round pick in the 2000 NHL draft has played in one NHL game for the Predators. Pikvo was also a member of the Admirals 2004 Calder Cup Championship team.
Rinne, playing in his first AHL season, has some impressive numbers thus far this season with a 15-9-1 record, a 2.49 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. He also picked up his first career shutout when he blanked the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights on October 29. The Kempele, Finland native has been particularly effective at the Bradley Center, posting a 12-2 record with a 1.91 GAA and .925 save percentage.
"Although he is a rookie goaltender you can tell he has played before at a high level and has adapted very well to North American hockey," said Noel. "He handles the puck extremely well and sets it up well for the defenseman and he has a tremendous goalie sense."
Rinne was selected as a starter for the PlanetUSA squad by a vote of the fans at theahl.com. The Predators eighth round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft recorded his first NHL win this season when he stopped 35 of 38 shots in Nashville's 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Rinne also posted a six-game winning streak for the Admirals this season.
The roster for the Canadian All-Star Team will be announced tomorrow.
The 2006 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic will take place at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, home of the AHL's Manitoba Moose, and will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League. The event gets underway on Tuesday, January 31, with the 2006 CCM AHL All-Star Skills Competition at 7:00 p.m. (CT). The annual All-Star Game follows at 7:00 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, February 1, and will be televised live in North America.
The Admirals are in action again this Friday when they battle the Cleveland Barons at the Bradley Center at 7:00 p.m. The first 3,500 fans will receive an Admirals winter hat, courtesy of the Titus Group. For tickets fans can call Ticketmaster at (414) 276-4545 or log onto www.ticketmaster.com.
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