SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Todd Nelson of the Hershey Bears, Trent Vogelhuber of the Cleveland Monsters, Neil Graham of the Texas Stars and Trent Cull of the Calgary Wranglers have clinched the honor of coaching at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU, to be held February 4-5 in San Jose, Calif.
The Bears, Monsters, Stars and Wranglers will all own the best record in their respective divisions as of the pre-determined deadline, the end of play on December 31, 2023.
Todd Nelson will guide the Atlantic Division All-Star team in 2024 and become the first person ever to coach in four AHL All-Star events (2012, 2017, 2023). Nelson, 54, has guided Hershey to a league-leading record of 26-6-0-0 (52 points, .813) this season – the best record through 32 games in the franchise’s 86-year history – following their Calder Cup championship in 2023.
In his second season as head coach of the Monsters, Trent Vogelhuber will lead the North Division thanks to Cleveland’s 20-7-1-0 record (41 pts., .732) so far in 2023-24. The youngest head coach currently working in the AHL, the 35-year-old Vogelhuber is an Ohio native and former Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick who won a Calder Cup as a player with the Monsters in 2016. This is his first AHL All-Star Classic.
Neil Graham heads to his second consecutive AHL All-Star Classic representing the Stars, who sit atop the Central Division with a record of 17-7-2-1 (37 pts., .685). Graham, 38, led Texas to a division title in 2022-23, and has compiled a record of 124-88-34 (.573) since taking over as head coach on Dec. 10, 2019.
Trent Cull will coach the Pacific Division All-Star team in his first season at the helm of the Wranglers, who lead the entire Western Conference at 19-7-3-0 (41 pts., .707). Cull, 50, joined Calgary after six seasons in the Vancouver Canucks organization, including five years as head coach of their AHL affiliates in Utica and Abbotsford. This will be his first AHL All-Star Classic.
The AHL’s All-Stars will be divided into four teams, one representing each of the league’s four divisions, for the 2024 AHL All-Star Challenge on Monday, Feb. 5. The teams will participate in a round-robin 3-on-3 tournament featuring six games of 10 minutes each. 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.
The 2024 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Feb. 4, will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events.
Tickets for the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU, which include admission to both the Skills Competition and the All-Star Challenge, start as low as $56. For more information, fans can visit sjbarracuda.com/allstar.
The 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League: since 1995, more than 94 percent of All-Star Classic participants have gone on to compete in the National Hockey League, including Cam Atkinson, Drake Batherson, Jordan Binnington, Thomas Bordeleau, John Carlson, Thatcher Demko, Lukas Dostal, Connor Hellebuyck, Tristan Jarry, Jordan Kyrou, Jonathan Marchessault, Jacob Markstrom, J.T. Miller, Brandon Montour, William Nylander, Kyle Palmieri, Mikko Rantanen, Dylan Strome, Tyler Toffoli, Linus Ullmark, Vitek Vanecek and Mats Zuccarello, as well as current San Jose Sharks Logan Couture, Mike Hoffman, Luke Kunin, Kaapo Kahkonen, Mackenzie Blackwood and Jacob MacDonald.
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 32 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers.
