Yesterday, the American Hockey League announced the rosters for the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic. Forward Brennan Othmann and defenseman Mac Hollowell will represent the Wolf Pack in San Jose.
Othmann’s Off To San Jose!
From watching Brennan Othmann play, you’d have no idea he’s got just 28 AHL games under his belt.
In those 28 games, the rookie forward has recorded nine goals and 14 assists, totaling 23 points. Those 23 points are good for third among active Wolf Pack skaters, trailing only Alex Belzile (28) and fellow All-Star Mac Hollowell (26). Othmann has been one of Hartford’s most noticeable players on the ice this season, even when he isn’t putting up points. He leads the Wolf Pack with 95 shots, 13 more than second-place Belzile (82).
Othmann has also excelled on the power play – five of his goals came on the man advantage, trailing only Belzile (6) for the team lead. The best of these powerplay goals came on December 2nd against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Samu Tuomaala took a tripping penalty in overtime, and Othmann ended the game.
Othmann also made his NHL debut on January 4th against the Chicago Blackhawks. In that game, he led the Rangers with five shots. Othmann skated in two more NHL games before being assigned back to Hartford on Monday.
From my conversations with Othmann throughout the season, it’s clear that he’s a competitor at heart. After the Wolf Pack’s practice on January 3rd, I asked Othmann what the team’s goals were for the new year. His answer? “We wanna win.” Othmann has been a key piece to the Wolf Pack’s success this season, and he will continue to play an important role in Hartford throughout the rest of the campaign. However, he’s earned the right to take a break from the competition and be honored as an AHL All-Star in San Jose next month!
Mac Makes The All-Star Classic
Mac Hollowell has been one of the most underrated players in the American Hockey League this year.
Hollowell’s 25 assists are good for fourth in the AHL and second among defensemen; only Chicago’s Matt Donovan (28) has more helpers. Additionally, Hollowell leads the Wolf Pack in assists and is second in points (26), trailing only Belzile (28). His +9 rating is good for third on the team, trailing Connor Mackey (+14) and Riley Nash (+10). Hollowell also owns one of the longest point streaks in the AHL this season. His nine-game point streak from October 13th to November 4th is tied for the third-longest streak in the league. During that streak, Hollowell recorded ten points, posting one goal and nine assists.
Hollowell has also been running Hartford’s lethal top power play unit this season. The Wolf Pack have converted on 24.6% of their power play opportunities this season, leading the Eastern Conference. League-wide, only the Chicago Wolves (26.1%) and Texas Stars (24.8%) have been better on scoring with a man advantage. Hollowell’s lone goal of the season comes from a power play opportunity against the Utica Comets on November 4th.
Hollowell’s breakout year has been a lot of fun to watch. But just how good has the Hartford blueliner been? During the 2021-22 season with the Toronto Marlies, Hollowell put up a career-high 26 points in 45 games. In just 26 games in the Connecticut capital this year, Hollowell has already matched that career-high. Hollowell will head to San Jose next month to represent the Wolf Pack as an AHL All-Star, a well-deserved honor for the defenseman.
When Is The AHL All-Star Classic?
The AHL All-Star Classic will take place on February 4-5th, 2024, from the Tech CU Arena in San Jose, CA. On Sunday, February 4th, the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will face off in the 2024 AHL All-Star Skills Competition. The event will start at 8:00 pm EST. The following day, Monday, February 5th, the four divisions will face off in the 2024 AHL All-Star Challenge. The event starts at 9:00 pm EST.
