Thursday, January 22, 2015
Alumni Stars Set to Shine
Former college players filling rosters at NHL, AHL All-Star Games.
NCAA hockey will be well represented as NHL All-Stars take the ice in Columbus this weekend, with nine players from seven schools participating in the NHL All-Star festivities.
Former North Dakota star Jonathan Toews will help kick things off, captaining a team in the All-Star Fantasy Draft Friday night.
NHL.com All-Star site | TheAHL.com All-Star site
Among the players he can select from are two from Toews’s old rival, Minnesota, in Erik Johnson and Phil Kessel. Wisconsin will also send two alums to Columbus in Brian Elliott and Ryan Suter. Other NCAA alums named to the All-Star Game are Justin Faulk (Minnesota Duluth), Duncan Keith (Michigan State) and Kevin Shattenkirk (Boston University).
Rookie sensation Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College), last season’s Hobey Baker Award winner, is among the rookies selected to take part in the All-Star Skills Competition Saturday night. He is one of three players – with Claude Giroux and Ryan Johansen – who fans can vote to participate in the Breakaway Challenge by including #NHLBreakawayGaudreau on Twitter.
Another former college player, Jimmy Howard (Maine), was named to the All-Star Game but is unable to participate due to injury.
AHL All-Star Game
The NHL All-Star Game and AHL All-Star Skills Challenge will both take place Sunday, with the AHL All-Star Game set for Monday in Utica, N.Y.
Thirteen former college players are set to play in the AHL event, each representing a different school. Rookie Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) and second-year pro Andrew Miller (Yale) are two of the youngest participants in the event, which pits the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference.
Injuries and NHL recalls will prevent some players from taking part, including Los Angeles Kings forward Nick Shore (Denver). Shore, who ranks second in the AHL in points, was recalled to LA this week or would have faced brother and fellow DU alum Drew Shore in the AHL All-Star Game.
ECHL All-Star Game
A third North American pro league, the ECHL, held its All-Star Game Wednesday night, with one team of all-stars taking on the Orlando Solar Bears. The All-Stars, featuring nine former NCAA players, beat Orlando, 8-4.
Those nine alums represented nine schools and included rookies Tyler Barnes (Wisconsin), Alex Krushelnyski (Colorado College) and Steve Shamanski (Providence).
In all, 22 schools have a representative in at least one North American all-star game, with eight schools having two.
KHL All-Star Game
In Europe, the KHL All-Star Game will be held Saturday and Sunday in Sochi, Russia, and the NCAA will have former players there as well.
Seven players from seven schools – including Division III SUNY Potsdam (Chris Lee) – are participating in the KHL event.
NCAA Alums in All-Star Games
| NHL | |
| Brian Elliott | Wisconsin |
| Justin Faulk | Minnesota Duluth |
| Johnny Gaudreau | Boston College |
| Erik Johnson | Minnesota |
| Duncan Keith | Michigan State |
| Phil Kessel | Minnesota |
| Kevin Shattenkirk | Boston University |
| Ryan Suter | Wisconsin |
| Jonathan Toews | North Dakota |
| AHL | |
| Richard Bachman | Colorado College |
| Chris Bourque | Boston University |
| Connor Hellebuyck | UMass Lowell |
| Brad Hunt | Bemidji State |
| Tim Kennedy | Michigan State |
| Andrew Miller | Yale |
| Travis Morin | Minnesota State |
| Drew Shore | Denver |
| Matt Taormina | Providence |
| Paul Thompson | New Hampshire |
| Chris Wagner | Colgate |
| Joe Whitney | Boston College |
| Chris Wideman | Miami |
| ECHL | |
| Tyler Barnes | Wisconsin |
| Joe Cannata | Merrimack |
| Chris Crane | Ohio State |
| Garrett Haar | Western Michigan |
| Alex Krushelnyski | Colorado College |
| Scott Macaulay | Northern Michigan |
| Jeff Malcolm | Yale |
| Cam Reid | St. Cloud State |
| Steven Shamanski | Providence |
| KHL | |
| Nick Bailen | Rensselaer |
| Matt Gilroy | Boston University |
| Ryan Gunderson | Vermont |
| Erik Gustafsson | Northern Michigan |
| Chris Lee | SUNY Potsdam |
| Mike Lundin | Maine |
| Steve Moses | New Hampshire |