Goal scoring is the name of the game when the Springfield Thunderbirds announced that they will be represented by forward Adam Gaudette and defenseman Dylan Coghlan at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose, CA.
For Coghlan, it is his first appearance at the All-Star Classic despite playing in the AHL for three years, and in the NHL for equally as long.
It is a similar refrain for Gaudette, as it is the first time that he has made it to the mid-season showcase. This is in large part due to his ability to stick with the NHL teams he was with.
Gaudette pick is no surprise
Throughout the season, Gaudette has played like an All-Star. The seven-year veteran leads the AHL in goals as of this writing with a total of 20, and sits in fifth place for points with 32 on the season.
The only thing that really is surprising is that he has not touched the NHL yet this season before being officially selected as an All-Star.
Over a stretch of six games in October, Gaudette scored nine goals for the Thunderbirds which included multiple multi-goal games. This stretch helped the Northeastern University product garner AHL Player of the Month honors for October. It is also tied for the longest streak all season in the league.
Coghlan a blueline offensive machine
Coghlan was an unlikely surprise representative for Springfield this season as he is under contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. He joined the Thunderbirds at the start of the campaign, playing 30 games and acquitting himself well. He is one of three skaters on Springfield’s roster who is under contract with Carolina.
Coghlan has taken the opportunity by storm (no pun intended) and has played well this season. He’s tied with Lucas Carlsson of the Charlotte Checkers for the top spot in goals in the entire AHL as well with 10 goals of his own. He trails Carlsson by four in the points department, but plays at 0.70 point-per-game clip.
The 25-year-old defenseman had his best game back on November 4 vs. the Lehigh Valley Phantoms when he tallied two goals and an assist for a three-point night. He also is tied for the league-lead in power play goals with three, and is second behind the aforementioned Carlsson in game-winning goals with four, two coming in overtime.
When/where is the All-Star Classic?
The AHL All-Star Classic takes place over two days in San Jose, California at the Tech CU Arena, home of the San Jose Barracuda.
On the first day, Sunday, Feb. 4, the All-Star Skills Competition will take place. Players from both conferences will compete in seven skills events with one winner out of all competitors coming out of each competition.
On the second day, Monday, Feb. 5, the All-Stars will be divided into four teams – one for each division (Atlantic, North, Central, and Pacific) – and will compete in a round-robin, 3-on-3 tournament style play. After the round-robin, the two squads with the best records will faceoff for the championship and the ability to be crowned All-Star champions.
Tickets can be purchased through sjbarracuda.com and will include a ticket to both the skills competition and the All-Star Classic itself.
If you cannot be there in-person, it will also be made available on AHLTV.
