Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Alums Dominate AHL Honors

Alums Dominate AHL Honors
AHL All-Rookie Team selection Matt Donovan made his NHL debut Tuesday night.

College hockey dominated the all-star and all-rookie teams of the NHL’s top development league as the American Hockey League announced those honors this week.

A remarkable 10 of 12 members of the first- and second-team AHL All-Stars played college hockey. Four of the six members of the 2011-12 AHL All-Rookie Team played college hockey, finishing their college careers a year ago.

Cory Conacher (Canisius), a second-team All-Star, member of the All-Rookie Team and favote for AHL Rookie of the Year, was an undrafted free agent after his career with the Golden Griffins. His play this season earned him an entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, on March 1. The Norfolk Admirals star has led his team to an AHL-record 23-game winning streak and is the favorite to capture the league’s rookie of the year honors.

Other members of the All-Star teams included: goaltenders Yann Danis (Brown) and Ben Bishop (Maine), defensemen Brian Connolly (Colorado College) and Clay Wilson (Michigan Tech) and forwards Chris Bourque (Boston University), Keith Aucoin (Norwich), Kyle Palmieri (Notre Dame), T.J. Hensick (Michigan) and Jon DiSalvatore (Providence).

First-Year Stars

Matt Donovan (Denver), Cade Fairchild (Minnesota) and Gustav Nyquist (Maine) were the other former collegians on the AHL All-Rookie Team.

Donovan and Fairchild, the two defensemen on the list, enjoyed stints with their NHL clubs during their all-rookie seasons. Donovan made his NHL debut Tuesday night with the New York Islanders.

Nyquist, a former Hobey Baker finalist, also saw NHL duty as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.

This marks the second year in a row that U.S. college hockey alumni have accounted for four of the six AHL All-Rookie selections.