The initial 2018 AHL All-Star Classic rosters have been announced. See who’s representing each AHL team!
Each year since 1995, the AHL has hosted its annual All-Star Classic. It’s similar to the NHL All-Star Game. In 2018, it will be held at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. Much like its big brother, the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic will feature a skills competition and a three-on-three tournament.
The All-Star Classic will be held from Jan. 28 (skills competition) to Jan. 29 (tournament). Each division has 12 players and each AHL team has at least one representative. Well over half of the players have NHL experience.
It’s worth noting the NHL All-Star game and the AHL All-Star Classic are on the same weekend, so each player should be able to attend. Here’s a full list of each division’s rosters.
Atlantic Division
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Forwards
- Chris Bourque (Hershey Bears)
- Austin Czarnik (Boston Bruins)
- Tanner Fritz (Bridgeport Sound Tigers)
- Alexandre Grenier (Springfield Thunderbirds)
- Danick Martel (Lehigh Valley Phantoms)
- Daniel Sprong (Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins)
- Valentin Zykov (Charlotte Checkers)
Defensemen
- Sebastian Aho (Sound Tigers)
- T.J. Brennan (Phantoms)
- John Gilmour (Hartford Wolf Pack)
Goaltenders
- Jordan Bennington (Bruins)
- Casey DeSmith (Penguins)
Head coach – Jay Leach (Bruins)
North Division
Forwards
- Reid Boucher (Utica Comets)
- Gabriel Gagne (Belleville Senators)
- Kasperi Kapanen (Toronto Marlies)
- Bracken Kearns (Binghamton Devils)
- Matthew Peca (Syracuse Crunch)
- C.J. Smith (Rochester Americans)
- Chris Terry (Laval Rocket)
Defensemen
- Travis Dermott (Marlies)
- Jacob MacDonald (Devils)
- Matt Taormina (Rocket)
Goaltenders
- Thatcher Demko (Comets)
- Linus Ullmark (Americans)
Head coach – Sheldon Keefe (Marlies)
Central Division
Forwards
- Vinnie Hinostroza (Rockford IceHogs)
- Luke Kunin (Iowa Wild)
- Matt Lorito (Grand Rapid Griffins)
- Emil Pettersson (Milwaukee Admirals)
- Brandon Pirri (Chicago Wolves)
- Matt Puempel (Griffins)
- Jack Roslovic (Manitoba Moose)
Defensemen
- Erik Gustafsson (IceHogs)
- Dean Kukan (Cleveland Monsters)
- Cameron Schilling (Moose)
Goaltenders
- Michael Hutchinson (Moose)
- Anders Lindback (Admirals)
Head coach – Pascal Vincent (Moose)
Pacific Division
Forwards
- Rocco Grimaldi (San Antonio Rampage)
- Andrew Mangiapane (Stockton Heat)
- Curtis McKenzie (Texas Stars)
- Nick Merkley (Tucson Roadrunners)
- Ty Rattie (Bakersfield Condors)
- Dylan Strome (Tucson Roadrunners)
- Brett Sutter (Ontario Reign)
Defensemen
- Rasmus Andersson (Heat)
- Jordan Schmaltz (San Antonio Rampage)
- Andy Welinski (San Diego Gulls)
Goaltenders
- Antonie Bibeau (San Jose Barracuda)
- Cal Petersen (Reign)
Head coach – Mike Van Ryn (Roadrunners)
Next: 5 Bold NHL Predictions For 2018
The American Hockey League is often thought of to be roughly on par with the KHL or slightly below it. It’s the primary developmental league for the NHL. Ideally, you’d like to see some more young players on these rosters. But at the same time, it’s pretty cool to see veterans get their well-deserved credit.