A host of talent will represent the AHL’s Central Division this weekend at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic. The twelve-player roster is chock-full of first-timers who will put rivalries aside long enough to vie for top honors February 4 and 5 in San Jose.
Previously, At The All-Star Classic…
Back in the 2023 All-Star Classic, the Central Division was winless in three-games in the round-robin preliminaries. They did manage to tie the North Division in between losses to the Atlantic and Pacific Divisions.
In the skills competition the previous night, the Western Conference was defeated by the Eastern Conference 16-10. Rockford’s David Gust represented the Central in fine fashion, winning the Rona Accuracy Shooting Event by hitting four targets in four attempts.
Meet The Central Division All-Stars
Here’s this year’s roster, including a few names that would make suitable replacements in the event that any are needed.
Forwards
Jonatan Berggren, Grand Rapids Griffins
With 13 goals and 21 assists in 30 games with Grand Rapids this season, Berggren is the team leader in both categories despite spending nine games in the NHL with the Red Wings. The 23-year-old is making his first AHL All-Star appearance after spending most of last season in Detroit.
Matej Blumel, Texas Stars
After posting impressive rookie numbers (19 G, 25 A) last season, Blumel is a first-time All-Star thanks to 17 goals and 15 helpers in 39 games with the Stars. This includes seven multi-point games, highlighted by a four-point (1 G, 3 A) night against Manitoba on December 29. The 23-year-old Blumel also leads Texas with three game-winning goals.
Mavrik Bourque, Texas Stars
The Stars top pick in the 2020 NHL Draft posted 47 points (20 G, 27 A) in his first pro loop. Bourque has matched that output in just 39 games, with 16 goals and 31 assists. Bourque is currently second in the AHL in scoring. This is his first AHL All-Star selection.
Rocco Grimaldi, Chicago Wolves
The ten-year veteran makes his second appearance in the AHL All-Star Classic. The University of North Dakota product is on an AHL contract with the Wolves and has provided that team with a steady stream of offense (36P). Grimaldi’s 21 goals puts him third in league in that category.
Brad Lambert, Manitoba Moose
The Winnipeg Jets first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has played well in his first full professional season. Lambert has 13 goals and 15 helpers in 33 games with the Moose, nabbing his first AHL All-Star selection.
Nic Petan, Iowa Wild
Petan is a first-time All-Star in his ninth pro season. The 28-year-old center has been a steady scorer in previous stops in Manitoba, Toronto, and Abbotsford, but has seen his numbers blossom with the Wild. After a 62-point (23 G, 39 A) season a year ago, Petan leads Iowa with 11 goals and 24 assists in 33 games.
Logan Stankoven, Texas Stars
Stankoven, a second-round pick by Dallas in 2021, has been setting opposing nets ablaze. The rookie leads the league in scoring with 50 points (20 G, 30 A). He’s been on a tear of late, with five goals and five helpers in his last seven games. Stankoven is a first-time AHL All-Star.
Possible Alternates: Mark Jankowski and Egor Afanasyev (Milwaukee), Chris Terry (Chicago), David Gust (Rockford), Curtis McKenzie (Texas)
Defense
Ethan Del Mastro, Rockford IceHogs
Del Mastro is a fourth-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Draft. In his first professional campaign, he’s fifth among rookie blueliners with 19 points (4 G, 15 A). The 6’4″, 205-pounder just turned 21 and is a first-time AHL All-Star.
Kyle Capobianco, Manitoba Moose
Capobianco was named to the All Star Classic as injury cover for Simon Edvinsson. A former third round pick of the Arizona Coyotes, Capobianco is in his first season with Manitoba and is thriving. He has 32 points so far this season, only five short of his career high of 37, and is on pace to beat that total by more than 20 points. This will be his third AHL All Star nomination.
Spencer Stastney, Milwaukee Admirals
Stastney is part of the defensive corps for the Central Division leaders entering this weekend. Nashville’s fifth-round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft has followed up a solid rookie year with four goals and twelve helpers in 30 games with Milwaukee. His plus-18 skater rating is fifth among AHL defensemen.
Possible Alternates: Matt Donovan (Chicago), Derrick Pouliot (Texas)
Goalie
Yaroslav Askarov, Milwaukee Admirals
One of the AHL top performers in net has certainly been the class of the Central Division. Askarov, Nashville’s top pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is 16-6-1 for the Admirals this season. With a 2.18 goals against average and a .916 save percentage, Askarov is well deserving of his second AHL All-Star selection; he was selected for last season’s game but had to miss the festivities due to family reasons.
Jesper Wallstedt, Iowa Wild
Wallstedt is back for his second appearance for the Central Division in his second professional season. Wallstedt represented his native Sweden at last year’s World Championships and earned a call up to Minnesota this season. Currently, Wallstedt is sporting a 2.61 goals against average and a .916 save percentage.
Possible Alternates: Troy Grosenick (Milwaukee), Adam Scheel (Chicago)
Meet The Coach
Neil Graham will helm the Central Division All-Stars for the second time. As was the case a year ago, Texas led the Central Division at the December 31 deadline. The Stars are currently in second place behind Milwaukee, but the 38-year-old Graham and his staff will be making another appearance on the Central bench.
Graham has served as the Stars head coach since the middle of the 2019-20 season and has a 124-88-34 mark with the team. He led Texas to the Central Division title in 2022-23. Prior to his time with the Stars, Graham spent four seasons at the helm of the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads.
Potential Lineups
Graham has a slew of options at his disposal for Monday’s All-Star Challenge. How might the lines look? Here are some possible combos:
Bourque-Blumel-Stastney
Petan-Lambert-Capobianco
Grimaldi-Stankoven-Del Mastro
Berggren-Grimmaldi-Capobianco
Bold Predictions
- Askarov pitches at least one shutout.
- Lambert nabs fastest skater honors.
- The Central reigns supreme and makes us forget last year’s last-place finish.
In Conclusion
The Central Division has the talent to compete. Obviously, we’ll now have to watch the action to see how this group fares in the skills competition and Monday’s three-on-three skate. Best of luck to this year’s All-Stars! The 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU will be televised live to national audiences on TSN in Canada and on NHL Network in the United States, as well as being streamed on AHL TV. The Skills Competition will take place on Sunday Feb 4 at 8pm ET, and the 3 on 3 Tournament will take place on Monday Feb 5 at 9PM ET.
