Two Monarchs Named To PlanetUSA AHL All-Star Roster
January 27, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release
MANCHESTER, NH â The Manchester Monarchs, the top affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, and the American Hockey League announced on Thursday the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star team roster for the 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic, to be played at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester on February 13-14. The team comprises players born in the United States and Europe; the Canadian team was announced on Wednesday. AHL fans determined the starting lineups of both teams via on-line balloting at theahl.com, while a committee of AHL coaches selected the remainder of the rosters. All 28 teams are represented by at least one All-Star.
Representing the Monarchs on the roster are left wing Dustin Brown (starter) and defenseman Denis Grebeshkov.
Brown, 20, is fourth on the Monarchs and 13th in the league in scoring with 45 points (19-26=45) in 44 games. The first-time all-star is second on the Monarchs with 140 shots and tied for second on the Monarchs with eight power play goals. The Kings selected Brown, a native of Ithaca, New York, in the first-round (13th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Grebeshkov, 21, leads all Monarchs blueliners and is fourth in the league among defensemen with 29 points (4-25=29) in 42 games. The first-time all-star is second in the league among defensemen with 25 assists. The Kings selected Grebeshkov, a native of Yaroslavl, Russia, in the first-round (18th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Brown and Grebeshkov join center Michael Cammalleri (starter), goaltender Mathieu Garon, right wing Tom Kostopoulos (injured) and center Yanick Lehoux (injured) as Monarchs named to the 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic. Cammalleri, Garon, Kostopoulos and Lehoux were named to the Canadian AHL All-Star team on Wednesday.
Thirteen members of the PlanetUSA team are former first-round draft picks, including Chicago's Kari Lehtonen (2nd in 2002), Syracuse's Alexander Svitov (3rd in 2001), Philadelphia's Joni Pitkanen (4th in 2002) and Rochester's Thomas Vanek (5th in 2003). All told, 21 of the 46 players scheduled to head to Manchester were chosen in the first round of an NHL Entry Draft; seven more were second-rounders.
Springfield Falcons forward Craig Darby will captain the PlanetUSA team, his fifth career AHL All-Star appearance. Other notable names on the PlanetUSA roster include Rochester's Ryan Miller, who was the Top Goaltender at last year's AHL All-Star Skills Competition, and Albany's Zach Parise and Manitoba's Ryan Kesler, who won gold medals with the United States at the 2004 World Junior Championships.
The host Monarchs lead all teams with six selections between the two All-Star squads, although Canadian forwards Lehoux and Kostopoulos will miss the event due to injury. The defending Calder Cup champion Milwaukee Admirals will have four representatives at the event.
The head coach of the PlanetUSA All-Star team will come from the team with the best points percentage after play on Sunday, January 30. In the running for the honor are the coaching staffs from the Monarchs (.750 winning percentage), the Hartford Wolf Pack (.722 winning percentage), the Rochester Americans (.722 winning percentage) and the Manitoba Moose (.705 winning percentage).
The 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic will take place at the Verizon Wireless Arena on February 13-14. The event gets underway on Sunday, February 13, with the 2005 AHL All-Star Skills Competition at 7:00 p.m. (ET). The annual All-Star Game follows at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Monday, February 14, and will be televised live nationally on ESPN2 in the United States and on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada.
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