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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 4, 2018

PLAYING ROSTERS UNVEILED FOR 2018 AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The announced today the playing rosters for the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino, to be held January 28-29 in Utica, N.Y.

Each of the AHL’s four divisions will be represented by 12 players. Rosters were determined by committees of AHL coaches, and all 30 AHL teams are represented by at least one All-Star.

The 2018 rosters feature 37 first-time AHL All-Stars, seven former first-round draft choices and 12 more second- rounders. In addition, 25 of the All-Stars named have been recalled to the already this season, including standouts of the Marlies (Toronto), of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh), Luke Kunin of the (Minnesota) and and of the ().

Also named to the All-Star rosters are Wolves , the MVP of the 2014 AHL All-Star Game; defenseman T.J. Brennan, an All-Star for the fifth consecutive year; and 2018 United States Olympian of the , who would make his record-tying sixth All-Star appearance.

Providence Bruins , head coach , Moose head coach and Tucson Roadrunners head coach will serve as coaches for the event.

The 2018 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 28 (8 p.m. ET) will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events.

In the 2018 AHL All-Star Challenge on Jan. 29 (7 p.m. ET), the four teams will participate in a round-robin tournament featuring six games of 10 minutes each, played entirely at 3-on-3. The two teams with the best records at the end of the round-robin will face off for the championship, a six-minute game also played at 3-on-3.

Tickets for the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino are priced at $39, $49, $69, $89 and $99, and include admission to both the Skills Competition on Jan. 28 and the All-Star Challenge on Jan. 29. To purchase event tickets, visit the Adirondack Bank Center box office or go online to www.empirestatetix.com.

The 2018 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League: since 1995, more than 93 percent of All-Star Classic participants have gone on to compete in the National Hockey League, including , , , Ben Bishop, Troy Brouwer, Ryan Callahan, Zdeno Chara, Logan Couture, Braden Holtby, Tyler Johnson, Martin Jones, Chris Kunitz, Zach Parise, , Pekka Rinne, Bobby Ryan, , Patrick Sharp, , P.K. Subban and Mats Zuccarello.

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and staff of all 31 National Hockey League teams. More than 88 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the spent time in the AHL in their careers. In 2016-17, over 6 million fans attended AHL regular-season and playoff games across North America for the 16th year in a row.

2018 Eastern Conference AHL All-Stars

Atlantic Division All-Stars Pos. Player Team App. 2017-18 Stats D Sebastian Aho Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1st 29gp, 9-11-20 G 1st 9-1-1, 1.59, .938 F Chris Bourque Hershey Bears 6th 35gp, 11-28-39 D T.J. Brennan Lehigh Valley Phantoms 5th 27gp, 4-17-21 F Providence Bruins 1st 26gp, 9-19-28 G Casey DeSmith Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 1st 10-5-2, 2.72, .911 F Tanner Fritz Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1st 29gp, 10-25-35 D John Gilmour 1st 29gp, 5-14-19 F 2nd 35gp, 8-19-27 F Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1st 32gp, 17-9-26 F Daniel Sprong Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 1st 29gp, 18-10-28 F 1st 29gp, 19-8-27

Coach Jay Leach Providence Bruins 2nd 21-8-3-0 (.703)

North Division All-Stars Pos. Player Team App. 2017-18 Stats F Reid Boucher 1st 25gp, 13-12-25 G Thatcher Demko Utica Comets 1st 11-6-5, 2.41, .924 D Toronto Marlies 1st 26gp, 2-15-17 F Gabriel Gagne 1st 34gp, 12-3-15 F Kasperi Kapanen Toronto Marlies 1st 20gp, 9-6-15 F (“C”) 2nd 33gp, 6-15-21 D Jacob MacDonald Binghamton Devils 1st 32gp, 11-15-26 F 1st 33gp, 7-19-26 F C.J. Smith 1st 34gp, 10-20-30 D 4th 36gp, 2-26-28 F Laval Rocket 3rd 33gp, 18-20-38 G Linus Ullmark Rochester Americans 2nd 15-5-3, 2.33, .926

Coach Sheldon Keefe Toronto Marlies 2nd 24-11-0-0 (.686)

2018 Western Conference AHL All-Stars

Central Division All-Stars Pos. Player Team App. 2017-18 Stats D Erik Gustafsson Rockford IceHogs 1st 22gp, 3-11-14 F Vinnie Hinostroza Rockford IceHogs 1st 23gp, 9-13-22 G Michael Hutchinson 1st 14-2-2, 1.77, .947 D Dean Kukan 1st 27gp, 1-11-12 F Luke Kunin Iowa Wild 1st 20gp, 7-4-11 G Anders Lindback Admirals 1st 15-6-3, 2.52, .921 F 2nd 27gp, 10-15-25 F 1st 29gp, 8-16-24 F Brandon Pirri 3rd 29gp, 12-15-27 F Grand Rapids Griffins 1st 27gp, 13-14-27 F Manitoba Moose 2nd 31gp, 15-20-35 D Manitoba Moose 1st 33gp, 4-18-22

Coach Pascal Vincent Manitoba Moose 1st 24-6-1-2 (.773)

Pacific Division All-Stars Pos. Player Team App. 2017-18 Stats D Rasmus Andersson 1st 26gp, 3-16-19 G 1st 8-7-0, 2.37, .916 F Rocco Grimaldi 1st 24gp, 12-7-19 F Andrew Mangiapane Stockton Heat 1st 29gp, 14-19-33 F Curtis McKenzie 1st 29gp, 15-13-28 F Nick Merkley Tucson Roadrunners 1st 24gp, 15-15-30 G Cal Petersen Reign 1st 8-6-0, 2.34, .920 F 2nd 31gp, 11-11-22 D San Antonio Rampage 1st 26gp, 5-14-19 F Dylan Strome Tucson Roadrunners 1st 19gp, 11-19-30 F Brett Sutter (“C”) 1st 30gp, 6-6-12 D Andy Welinski 1st 24gp, 6-15-21

Coach Mike Van Ryn Tucson Roadrunners 1st 16-9-2-1 (.625)

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