AHL American Hockey League

Rookies, 1st-Rounders Top AHL All-Star Rosters

January 20, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


SPRINGFIELD, MA ... While the two team rosters for the AHL All-Star Classic traditionally showcase the top young talent in hockey, this year's group of 48 All-Stars is especially deep in highly-touted prospects, including 10 first-round draft picks and 12 outstanding rookies.

The Canadian AHL All-Star team includes seven first-year pros, most notably Binghamton Senators forward Jason Spezza, the second overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. At 19 years, seven months, Spezza will be one of the youngest All-Stars in league history. After making his pro debut with Grand Rapids during the 2002 Calder Cup Playoffs, Spezza has recorded 16 goals and 29 points – both team highs – in 25 games with Binghamton this season, while adding four goals and six assists in 17 NHL contests with Ottawa.

Binghamton teammate and fellow rookie Ray Emery joins Spezza on the Canadian All-Star team. The 20-year-old Emery, last year's Canadian Major Junior Goaltender of the Year, is currently tied for second in the AHL with 15 victories.

Former college stars Darren Haydar of Milwaukee and John Pohl of Worcester, tied for the league's rookie scoring lead with 43 points each, are also both heading to Portland. Cleveland's Niko Dimitrakos, who won an NCAA championship up the road at the University of Maine, is right behind with 39 points for the Barons.

The National Hockey League has already called on eight of the 12 rookie AHL All-Stars to make their NHL debuts this season.

Rookies in the 2003 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic:

Jared Aulin, MCH

Niko Dimitrakos, CLE

Ray Emery, BNG

Jim Fahey, CLE

Darren Haydar, MIL

Mike Komisarek, HAM

Tomas Malec, LOW

Filip Novak, SAN

John Pohl, WOR

Jason Spezza, BNG

Charlie Stephens, HER

Jeff Taffe, SPR

The 2003 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic, to be held Feb. 2-3, will also feature 18 players selected in the first two rounds of an NHL Entry Draft, including former first-rounders Jason Spezza (second overall in 2001), Mike Komisarek (seventh in 2001), Rick DiPietro (first in 2000), Jeff Taffe (30th in 2000), Steve McCarthy (23rd in 1999), Milan Kraft (23rd in 1998), Jason Ward (11th in 1997), Jason Botterill (20th in 1994), Peter Ferraro (24th in 1992) and John Slaney (ninth in 1990).

AHL GRADS NAMED NHL YOUNGSTARS ... Fifteen American Hockey League graduates have been selected to participate in the annual YoungStars game at the NHL All-Star weekend in Sunrise, Fla. The game showcases the 28 of the NHL's finest young players age 25 and under who are playing on entry-level contracts.

Headlining the group is Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Arnason, last year's winner of the Dudley "Red" Garrett Award as the top rookie in the AHL. He will be joined on the Western Conference team by fellow 2002 AHL All-Rookie Team member Barret Jackman of St. Louis.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, who will play for the Eastern Conference, has posted a 12-10-4 record with a 2.27 goals against average and two shutouts in 27 AHL games with Rochester this season. Miller is one of six YoungStars who have graduated from the American Hockey League during the 2002-03 season, joining Nashville's Adam Hall (Milwaukee), Montreal's Marcel Hossa (Hamilton), Washington's Brian Sutherby (Portland), Tampa Bay's Alexander Svitov (Springfield) and the New York Islanders' Mattias Weinhandl (Bridgeport).

The other AHL alumni selected to participate are Henrik Tallinder and Taylor Pyatt of Buffalo, 2000 Calder Cup champion Pavel Brendl of Philadelphia, Colorado's David Aebischer, Minnesota's Nick Schultz, Dallas's Niko Kapanen and Phoenix's Branko Radivojevic.

OFF THE ICE ... Cincinnati will host Cleveland in an 11:05 a.m. game on Wednesday in conjunction with the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Post's Newspapers in Education program... Friday will be American Idol Night in Syracuse, with video clips of Crunch players singing critiqued by local DJ's Ted Long and Amy Robbins... The Rochester Americans have donated equipment used by Amerk players to the Monroe County Special Olympics for use by the Rochester Ice Cats, members of Special Hockey International... The Portland Pirates Hockey School, one week of skill development for boys and girls ages 8 to 16, will be held July 14-18.

ETC. ... With Claude Julien's promotion to head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Houston's Todd McLellan has been named the new coach of the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star team for the February 2-3 event... Julien's debut with the Canadiens on Saturday was spoiled by Mikael Tellqvist, who stopped nine of 10 shots in his NHL debut to help Toronto to a 3-2 overtime win... Recalled from Lowell last week, Jeff Heerema scored a goal in his NHL debut with Carolina on Friday... Philadelphia's Jim Vandermeer netted his first NHL goal in the Flyers' 4-1 win over Montreal on Thursday night... On Friday, Saint John beat Hamilton, 4-1, ending the Bulldogs' 25-game points streak (21-0-2-2); in the rematch the next night, the Bulldogs won 3-0, ending the Flames' 20-game points streak (18-0-1-1) in their head-to-head series with Hamilton... Jason Botterill scored three times as Rochester snapped Hamilton's league-record-tying 13-game road winning streak with a 3-3 tie on Sunday... Providence goalie Tim Thomas is 9-0-2 in his last 11 decisions... David Ling dished out five assists in Syracuse's 6-4 win over Hershey on Saturday... Milwaukee ended Houston's 13-game unbeaten streak with a 3-0 win on Friday; the Admirals also put a stop to Hamilton's 18-game unbeaten run on Jan. 11... Springfield has allowed 17 shorthanded goals this season, including three in a home-and-home series with Hartford over the weekend... The third-largest crowd in Cincinnati Mighty Ducks history (9,611) witnessed Saturday's game against defending Calder Cup champion Chicago; it was one of eight crowds of over 8,000 that night.

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