TORONTO, Ont. … The American Hockey League today announced several roster changes for this weekend’s 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic, set for Sunday and Monday at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto.
Chicago Wolves defenseman Nathan Oystrick and Manitoba Moose forward Jason Jaffray have been added to the Canadian AHL All-Star roster, and forward Joe Motzko, new of the Portland Pirates, has been added to the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star roster.
Oystrick, a 2002 draft pick by the Atlanta Thrashers, leads all AHL rookie defensemen in scoring with 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 47 games for Chicago this season. The 24-year-old native of Regina, Sask., also owns a plus-12 rating.
Jaffray, 25, has recorded 24 goals and 22 assists for 46 points in 44 games for the Moose this season, his fifth as a pro. The native of Rimbey, Alta., also leads the AHL with six game-winning goals.
Motzko, 26, recorded 13 goals and 23 assists for 36 points in 33 AHL games with Syracuse in 2006-07, as well as one goal in seven NHL games with Columbus. A native of Bemidji, Minn., he was assigned to Portland today after being acquired by the Anaheim Ducks in a trade with the Blue Jackets.
The AHL also announced that Chicago’s Jason Krog (Canada), Hartford’s Daniel Girardi (Canada), Hershey’s Lawrence Nycholat (Canada), Hamilton’s Mathieu Roy (Canada), Portland’s Zenon Konopka (Canada), Manchester’s Patrick O’Sullivan (PlanetUSA), Norfolk’s Brandon Bochenski (PlanetUSA) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Noah Welch (PlanetUSA) will all miss the event.
Forward Kris Newbury of Toronto and defensemen Sheldon Brookbank of Milwaukee and Nolan Baumgartner of Philadelphia have been selected to replace Konopka, Nycholat and Girardi in the Canadian starting lineup; forward Keith Aucoin of Albany and defenseman Matt Lashoff of Providence will replace Bochenski and Welch in PlanetUSA’s starting lineup.
The 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic will be televised live on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and on a network of regional broadcast partners in the United States. It will also be offered at no charge on B2 Networks’ broadband video webcast at theahl.com.
Of the 394 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, Brad Boyes, Daniel Briere, Jonathan Cheechoo, Pavol Demitra, Rick DiPietro, Patrik Elias, Ray Emery, Miikka Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen, Ryan Miller, Dwayne Roloson, Marc Savard, Martin St. Louis, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal, Steve Sullivan and Kyle Wellwood.
