The Toronto Marlies have announced they will send two players to represent them at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic. The event will be held in San Jose, Cali. from Feb. 4 through Feb. 5. All 32 AHL teams will have at least one player at the All-Stare Classic.
Each of the four division rosters will consist of 12 players during the game. The Marlies will be sending forward Alex Steeves and goaltender Dennies Hildeby to California next month.
Steeves. Alex Steeves.
If someone had to go to the All-Star Classic for the Marlies it had to be Alex Steeves. The 24-year-old Bedford, NH native leads the Marlies in points with 24 for the 2023-24 season. In his third season with the team, he has registered 124 points in 149 games, including 54 goals.
Earlier this season, Steeves set a franchise record with 16 consecutive games with a point from Oct. 22 to Dec. 20. His 12 goals this season are only two behind team leader Kieffer Bellows, who has 14. Steeves’ 15 assists are only three behind Nick Abruzzese, who has 18.
During the 2022-23 season, Steeves tallied 19 goals and 51 points in 65 games. He also did manage to play in three games for the Toronto Maple Leafs but did not secure a point. In his first season with the Marlies, he finished the 2021-22 season with 23 goals and 46 points in 58 games. The Notre Dame product is no stranger to securing points, as he scored 38 and 32 in his last two seasons.
Furthermore, even with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL, he had 20 goals and 57 points in 55 games. It seems like no matter where he goes, Steeves knows how to put points on the scoresheet. Elite Prospects has him projected to finish with 31 goals and 70 points in 67 games for the Marlies.
Watch Out! It’s the Hildebeast
The second player representing the Marlies is the Hildebeast himself, Dennis Hildeby. The 22-year-old Jarfalla, Sweden native, is a 122nd overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He got selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. This is his first full season in North America with the Marlies, where he has a record of 7-5-3 in 15 games.
Hildeby carries a 2.20 goals against average (GAA) and a .919 save percentage (SV%). In his two games during the 2022-23 season with the Marlies, he had a record of 0-1-0 with a 5.28 GAA and a .849 SV%.
Compared to the rest of the AHL for the 2023-24 season, Hildeby is eighth in the league in SV%. He is behind leader Clay Stevenson of the Hershey Bears, who has a .934 SV%. He is also fourth in the AHL when it comes to GAA, with Stevenson also leading that category with a 1.79 in 18 games.
When it comes to rookie netminders, Hildeby is third in GAA and fourth in SV%. Not bad for the first full season in North America for the Swedish goaltender. He was called up to the Maple Leafs recently but has did not play in any games. This will be his first All-Star Classic appearance, which is phenomenal as a rookie netminder.
As a whole, the Marlies are sitting tied for fifth in the North Division with 32 points. They’re only two points behind fourth-place Rochester Americans, who have 34 after 31 games played. The Marlies hope to turn around their current losing streak of 0-5-2-0 to get back in the Calder Cup Playoff hunt.
