SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Hershey Bears forward Riley Barber, Bakersfield Condors forward Cooper Marody and Charlotte Checkers goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic have been selected as the league’s award winners for January.
Barber, the CCM/AHL Player of the Month, tallied seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 10 games for Hershey during January.
Barber began the month by scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist in the Bears’ 6-4 win over Grand Rapids on Jan. 5. He scored two more goals in a 3-0 win at Lehigh Valley on Jan. 12, and extended his scoring streak to five games by recording two assists in a 5-4 win over the Phantoms the next night. Barber notched a goal and an assist to help Hershey to a 5-3 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 19 and duplicated that effort in a 4-1 victory at Bridgeport on Jan. 21, his fifth multiple-point game of the month. Barber closed out January with a goal in the Bears’ 4-2 win over Laval on Jan. 26.
Selected by Washington in the sixth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, Barber is in his fourth season with the Bears and has recorded 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points in 38 games in 2018-19, including a league-high 22 power-play points. The 24-year-old native of Pittsburgh, Pa., has totaled 77 goals and 81 assists for 158 points in 211 career regular-season games in the AHL, all with Hershey, and has made three appearances in the NHL with the Capitals.
Marody, the CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month, registered three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 13 games for Bakersfield, which finished January with eight consecutive wins.
Marody scored a goal against Colorado on Jan. 4, then put together a seven-game scoring streak beginning with an assist at Texas on Jan. 9. He notched three assists as the Condors defeated Stockton, 4-2, on Jan. 16, and had another three-point game – including scoring the overtime winner – in a 5-4 victory over the Heat on Jan. 18. Marody scored in a 6-2 win at San Diego on Jan. 19 and tallied two assists in a 6-5 OT decision at San Jose on Jan. 21, and would finish the month by representing the Condors at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic in Springfield.
A 22-year-old native of Brighton, Mich., Marody ranks fifth among all AHL rookies in scoring this season with 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 32 games for Bakersfield. He has also skated in six NHL games with Edmonton, making his debut on Oct. 23, 2018, vs. Pittsburgh. The University of Michigan product was selected by Philadelphia in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Draft and acquired by the Oilers on Mar. 21, 2018.
Nedeljkovic, the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month, was 6-0-0 in seven appearances for Charlotte during January, allowing 12 goals on 189 shots for a 1.78 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage with two shutouts.
Nedeljkovic made 30 saves in Charlotte’s 4-1 win at Belleville on Jan. 4, and followed that up with a 34-save shutout in a 5-0 decision at Toronto on Jan. 6. He stopped 32 shots in a 5-3 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 12, and stymied Bridgeport on Jan. 15 with 20 saves in a 1-0 win. He defeated the Sound Tigers again on Jan. 16 to complete a two-game sweep of the Checkers’ closest pursuer in the Atlantic Division, and made 18 saves in a 5-2 win at Hartford on Jan. 26 to complete the unbeaten month.
A second-round choice by Carolina in the 2014 NHL Draft, Nedeljkovic also made his first career NHL start on Jan. 23 and stopped 24 shots in the Hurricanes’ 5-2 win at Vancouver. The 23-year-old native of Parma, Ohio, leads the AHL in wins this season (21-5-2) and ranks fourth in minutes played (1,719) and fifth in saves (706) over 31 appearances for Charlotte. Nedeljkovic has a 2.65 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage while helping the Checkers secure the best record in the league at the All-Star break. A third-year pro, Nedeljkovic has appeared in 105 career AHL games with Charlotte, going 60-31-6 with a 2.77 GAA, an .898 save percentage and eight shutouts.
Each monthly award winner will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming home game in recognition of his achievement.
