SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced seven additions to the team rosters for the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross, to take place Sunday and Monday, Jan. 30 and 31, in Hershey, Pa.
Providence Bruins forward Jamie Arniel, Worcester Sharks defenseman Justin Braun and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender John Curry have been added to the Eastern Conference All-Star roster, while Toronto Marlies defenseman Keith Aulie, San Antonio Rampage forward Mathieu Beaudoin, Hamilton Bulldogs defenseman Mathieu Carle and Oklahoma City Barons forward Colin McDonald have been added to the Western Conference All-Star squad.
In addition, the AHL announced that Wilkes-Barre’s Brad Thiessen, Providence’s Steven Kampfer, Worcester’s Jonathan Cheechoo, San Antonio’s Garrett Stafford, Toronto’s Joey Crabb, Oklahoma City’s Linus Omark and Grand Rapids’ Brendan Smith will all miss the event due to injury or NHL recall.
Arniel leads the Bruins in goals (14) and points (28) in 43 games played this season, his second pro campaign. The 2008 fourth-round draft choice also made his NHL debut with Boston earlier this year.
Braun, a 2007 draft pick by San Jose, has tallied two goals and 13 assists in 27 AHL games with Worcester along with one goal and eight assists in 15 NHL contests with the parent Sharks.
Curry has a record of 16-7-0 with a 2.47 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage and one shutout in 24 appearances this season. Curry, who helped the Penguins reach the Calder Cup Finals as a rookie in 2008, is on pace for his fourth consecutive 20-win season.
Aulie has registered three goals and six assists in 31 games for the Marlies in 2010-11, while also making his NHL debut in 12 games with the parent Toronto Maple Leafs.
Beaudoin, a Calder Cup finalist with Texas last spring, has notched 32 points in 29 games for San Antonio this season, including a team-best four game-winning goals.
Carle has notched a career-high eight goals already this season to go along with seven assists and a plus-14 rating in 36 games for Hamilton. The fourth-year pro was a second-round draft pick by Montreal in 2006.
McDonald, a fourth-year pro and former second-round draft pick by the Edmonton Oilers, has already set career highs with 23 goals and 30 points while playing all 47 games for Oklahoma City this season.
The 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross in Hershey will feature the top talent in the American Hockey League competing in the AHL All-Star Skills Competition and the AHL All-Star Game, a two-day event to be televised nationally in the United States and Canada. Of the 528 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Dan Boyle, Daniel Briere, Dustin Byfuglien, Brian Campbell, Zdeno Chara, Eric Fehr, Miikka Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Bobby Ryan, Martin St. Louis, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal and Tomas Vokoun.
Tickets for the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross – which include admission to both the 2011 AHL All-Star Skills Competition at 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 30, and the 2011 AHL All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 31 – are nearly sold out. Tickets remain available for the 2011 AHL Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Ceremony (January 31, 11 a.m.) and the Post-Skills Party (January 30, 6 p.m.). Contact the Giant Center box office at (717) 534-3911 for information.
