2014-15 American Hockey League first and second All-Star teams named

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SPRINGFIELD, MA – The American Hockey League announced today the 2014-15 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams, as voted by AHL coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 30 member cities.

2014-15 AHL First All-Star Team
Goaltender Matt Murray, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (38gp, 24-9-3, 1.50gaa, .943sv%, 12so)
Defense Brad Hunt, Oklahoma City Barons (57gp, 17+31=48pts., -6, 8 PPG)
Defense Chris Wideman, Binghamton Senators (70gp, 17+37=54pts., +5, 7 PPG, 3 GWG)
Left Wing Chris Bourque, Hartford Wolf Pack (67gp, 27+32=59pts., +2, 10 PPG)
Center Andy Miele, Grand Rapids Griffins (66gp, 24+43=67pts., +12, 8 PPG, 4 GWG)
Right WingTeemu Pulkkinen, Grand Rapids Griffins (46gp, 34+27=61pts., +1, 10 PPG, 6 GWG)

2014-15 AHL Second All-Star Team
Goaltender Jacob Markstrom, Utica Comets (28gp, 19-7-2, 1.91gaa, .932sv%, 5so)
Defense Colin Miller, Manchester Monarchs (65gp, 17+30=47pts., +8, 10 PPG, 3 GWG)
Defense Bobby Sanguinetti, Utica Comets (58gp, 16+22=38pts., +22, 6 PPG, 6 GWG)
Left WingShane Prince, Binghamton Senators (67gp, 25+34=59pts., +6, 9 PPG, 5 GWG)
Center Jordan Weal, Manchester Monarchs (70gp, 19+46=65pts., +7, 8 PPG, 6 GWG)
Right WingBrian O’Neill, Manchester Monarchs (66gp, 22+52=74pts., +25, 9 PPG, 7 GWG)

Each All-Star Team member will receive a custom-designed crystal award in recognition of his selection to the 2014-15 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams.

The winner of the 2014-15 Eddie Shore Award (outstanding defenseman) will be announced Friday.

2014-15 AHL First All-Star Team

Matt Murray, Goaltender (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins):
A third-round draft pick by Pittsburgh in 2012, Matt Murray has rewritten the AHL’s record book this season. Murray is 24-9-3 in 38 appearances for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while leading the league with a 1.50 goals-against average, a .943 save percentage and 12 shutouts, more than any other rookie goaltender in AHL history. From Feb. 8 to Mar. 8, Murray held Penguins opponents off the scoreboard for 304 minutes and 11 seconds, the longest shutout streak by a goaltender in the AHL’s 79-year history. The 20-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ont., has been named CCM/AHL Player of the Week twice and was CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month in both February and March, and joins Niklas Svedberg (2012-13) as the only rookie goaltenders in the last 20 years to earn First Team All-Star honors.

Brad Hunt, Defense (Oklahoma City Barons):
A Second Team All-Star selection last season, Brad Hunt earns a First Team nod in 2014-15. Hunt has tallied 48 points in 57 games for Oklahoma City, good for second in league scoring among defensemen. Hunt, who began the season in the National Hockey League with Edmonton and has totaled one goal and two assists in 11 games with the Oilers on the year, notched 15 points in his first eight games after rejoining the Barons in November, and his 17 goals for Oklahoma City are one more than he had in 145 previous career AHL contests entering the season. A third-year pro from Ridge Meadows, B.C., Hunt also played in his second career AHL All-Star Classic in January.

Chris Wideman, Defense (Binghamton Senators):
A fourth-round draft pick by Ottawa in 2009, Chris Wideman is having a breakout offensive season for Binghamton in 2014-15, with 17 goals and 37 assists for 54 points in 70 games, leading all AHL defensemen in assists, points and shots on goal (213). Wideman had a nine-game scoring streak early in the year that helped him earn CCM/AHL Player of the Month honors for October, and all three of his game-winning goals have come during overtime. The third-year pro from St. Louis, Mo., represented the Senators at the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic.

Chris Bourque, Left Wing (Hartford Wolf Pack):
A First Team All-Star for the second time in his career (2011-12), Chris Bourque leads the Hartford Wolf Pack in goals (27), assists (32) and points (59) in his first season with the New York Rangers organization. The three-time Calder Cup winner and former league scoring champion has tallied 16 multiple-point games on the season, including three in a row from Dec. 7-12, and also skated in his third career AHL All-Star Classic. The Boston native and son of Hockey Hall of Famer Ray Bourque is closing in on another career milestone, with 492 points in 504 games over eight AHL seasons.

Andy Miele, Center (Grand Rapids Griffins):
Michigan native Andy Miele earns his second career postseason All-Star nod – he was a Second Team selection in 2013-14 – during his first season in the Detroit Red Wings organization. Miele is second in the league in scoring with 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists), helping Grand Rapids secure a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The fourth-year pro and 2011 Hobey Baker Award winner also owns a career-best plus-12 rating and has 22 multiple-point efforts, highlighted by a five-point night vs. Toronto on Dec. 19.

Teemu Pulkkinen, Right Wing (Grand Rapids Griffins):
Despite spending much of the second half of the season in the National Hockey League, Teemu Pulkkinencontinues to lead the AHL with 34 goals and ranks fourth in the league with 61 points in 46 games for Grand Rapids this season, surpassing his offensive output from a year ago when he won AHL All-Rookie honors. Pulkkinen had an eight-game goal streak from Dec. 19 to Jan. 7, beginning a stretch that has seen him score 23 times in his last 21 AHL contests. Pulkkinen has added five goals and three assists in 29 NHL games for Detroit, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.


Screenshot 2015-04-09 at 10.01.57 PM2014-15 AHL Second All-Star Team

Jacob Markstrom, Goaltender (Utica Comets):
Jacob Markstrom set the tone early for what would be a memorable 2014-15 season in Utica, posting three consecutive shutouts from Oct. 17-25 and earning CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month honors for October. Markstrom is now second in the AHL with a 1.91 goals-against average and third with a .932 save percentage while posting a 19-7-2 record for the Comets, who continue to battle for the best record in the AHL after missing the playoffs a year ago. Markstrom, who has allowed two goals or fewer in 21 of his 28 starts, has also made three NHL appearances with Vancouver this season, and was co-MVP of the 2015 AHL All-Star Game.

Colin Miller, Defense (Manchester Monarchs):
After totaling 17 points as a rookie last season, Colin Miller has erupted for 17 goals and 30 assists in the same number of games (65) for Manchester in 2014-15. Among American Hockey League defensemen, Miller ranks third in points, tied for second in goals and third in power-play goals (10), and he is third in team scoring for a Monarchs club that sits first in the overall AHL standings. Miller, who won both the fastest skater and hardest shot events at the 2015 AHL All-Star Skills Competition, was a fifth-round draft choice by Los Angeles in 2012.

Bobby Sanguinetti, Defense (Utica Comets):
In his seventh professional season, Bobby Sanguinetti has set personal bests with 16 goals and a plus-22 rating for Utica in 2014-15 to earn a selection as a Second Team AHL All-Star, his first career postseason nod. One of 10 players with double-digit goals in a Comets uniform this season, Sanguinetti has contributed six game-winning tallies – most among AHL defensemen – with three of those coming in overtime. The former first-round draft choice (2006 by the New York Rangers) has a total of 38 points in 58 games for Utica.

Shane Prince, Left Wing (Binghamton Senators):
Shane Prince improved his offensive numbers again in 2014-15, with the third-year pro establishing career highs with 25 goals, 34 assists and 59 points for Binghamton. Currently tied for sixth in the AHL in scoring, Prince also leads the B-Sens with nine power-play goals and five game-winners, and he had an eight-game scoring streak from Nov. 14 to Dec. 5 during which time he also nabbed CCM/AHL Player of the Week honors. Taken by Ottawa in the second round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Prince tallied an assist in his NHL debut with the parent Senators on Feb. 16 vs. Carolina.

Jordan Weal, Center (Manchester Monarchs):
Currently third in the league in scoring, third-year pro Jordan Weal has tallied 19 goals and 46 assists for 65 points in 70 games for Manchester in 2014-15, earning selection as a Second Team AHL All-Star. Weal, who owns the AHL’s longest active ironman streak with 178 consecutive games played, had points in eight straight games from Nov. 11 to Nov. 28 and has registered eight power-play goals and six game-winning tallies for the league-leading Monarchs. The 22-year-old native of North Vancouver, B.C., was a third-round selection by Los Angeles in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Brian O’Neill, Right Wing (Manchester Monarchs):
Third-year pro Brian O’Neill leads the AHL with 52 assists and 74 points and ranks first among all league forwards with a plus-25 rating in 66 games for Manchester this season, a standout two-way performance for a club that ranks third in the league in team offense and second in defense. O’Neill was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Month for December after putting up 21 points in 13 contests, including a five-assist game at Portland on Dec. 17 that established a league season high. The native of Yardley, Pa., played four seasons at Yale University before joining the Los Angeles Kings organization in 2012.

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!