The 2014 AHL All-Star Classic goes Wednesday night in St. John’s, Newfoundland with the best players the American League has to offer facing off against Farjestad BK, one of the top professional teams in the Swedish Hockey League.
The AHL team, selected by a committee of the league’s general managers and coaches, will be coached by Jeff Blashill, who guided the Grand Rapids Griffins to the 2013 Calder Cup, and Rob Zettler, who coaches the defending Eastern Conference champion Syracuse Crunch.
Farjestad’s roster features nine former NHL draft picks, including Ludwig Bystrom (Dallas Stars pick from 2012) and Pontus Aberg (Nashville Predators, also in 2012). Former Maple Leafs centre Rickard Wallin will also feature for Farjestad.
Programming alert: Catch the AHL All-Star Classic featuring Swedish team Farjestad BK, Wednesday night on Sportsnet ONE at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
Here are five players on the AHL side to keep an eye on.
Ryan Strome – Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Just 20-years-old and the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, Strome is one of the youngest and highest-drafted players in this game. He was so impressive for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers earlier this season that he earned a call-up to the New York Islanders in December, playing 15 games which is the maximum one can play in the 20 games prior to the Olympic break and still be assigned to the AHL during the hiatus. Strome scored a goal and three assists during his time in the show, averaging more than 13 minutes of ice time per game.
T. J. Brennan – Toronto Marlies
When you’re leading your team in points and in the top five in the entire league in scoring as a defenceman, you’re having a pretty good year. That’s what Toronto Maple Leafs prospect T.J. Brennan has done this season in a breakthrough campaign for the 24-year-old American. Brennan was actually a second-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2007 but after a pair of trades and a trip to the waiver wire the Maple Leafs picked him up at a bargain this past offseason. It’s certainly paid off and with each passing game Brennan adds more weight to the argument that everyone’s been wrong about him.
Jake Allen – Chicago Wolves
Getting a little old to maintain prospect status at 23, Allen may have finally found his step in 2013-14 as he’s playing the best hockey of his professional career and finds himself among the league leaders in nearly every AHL goaltending statistical category. He has a 2.14 goals against average and a .923 save percentage in 33 games for the Chicago Wolves this season, which is borderline unfair considering he belongs to a St. Louis franchise that already has Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak at the NHL level. Allen played a handful of games for the Blues last season and if the second-round pick continues to improve at the rate that he has he will give the club a tough decision to make this offseason.
Travis Morin – Texas Stars
Morin, a 30-year-old native of Brooklyn Park, MN, currently leads the AHL with 68 points in 44 games. He’s spent most of his career in the American League, earning a pair of brief three-game stints with the Dallas Stars this year and in 2010-11. Expect Morin to likely see ice time on a line with his Texas teammate Colton Sceviour who currently sits third in AHL scoring.
Jason Jaffray – St. John’s IceCaps
Jaffray is a sentimental pick. He’s a professional hockey journeyman who went undrafted and has bounced around eight different organizations between the ECHL and NHL. He’s played 49 NHL games(for Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg), scoring four goals and 11 points, but the vast majority of his time has been spent in the AHL where he has 34 points in 49 games for Winnipeg Jets affiliate St. John’s IceCaps this season. This year’s All-Star game just so happens to be in St. John’s which means Jaffray, captain for the All-Star team, will certainly be a crowd favourite. That was evident Tuesday night in the skills competition.
