IceCaps get chance to shine in Atlantic City

ST. JOHN ’S, Newfoundland and Labrador – St. John’s IceCaps head coach

Keith McCambridge has a reputation as a serious guy. He is as well prepared as any coach in the AHL and is becoming well known for his detailed preparation before each game his team plays.
 
So it comes as no surprise that McCambridge will bring a business-like attitude to Atlantic City, N.J., for the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic on Monday, Jan. 30. McCambridge will serve as head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars and makes no secret of the fact he expects to earn a victory in the mid-season showcase.
 
“It’s going to be a lot of fun, but I’m a competitive guy and I want to win the game,” said McCambridge.
 
The IceCaps bench boss admits the all-star game is unlikely to have the same intensity as a regular season AHL contest. However, he sees the game as an opportunity for players to make a lasting impression on NHL general managers, head coaches and scouts, both from their parent organizations and rival teams.   
 
McCambridge definitely has a point, since more than 90 per cent of the 562 players to lace up their skates in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995 have gone on to play at least one game in the NHL. Former AHL all-stars currently making big impacts in the NHL include Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ryan Callahan of the New York Rangers, Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks.
 
“Quite often in all-star games you get some players who don’t take it very seriously and just go through the motions. But what I want all the guys on our team to realize is that it’s a chance to showcase yourself and represent your team on a big stage. You want to use that chance to demonstrate your skills and show what type of player you are,” said McCambridge.
 
McCambridge will have a couple of familiar faces on the Eastern Conference team, with IceCaps defensemen Paul Postma and Zach Redmond having been selected to the squad. Postma is the third highest point producer on the IceCaps roster with six goals and 21 assists in 30 games, while Redmond has four goals and 12 assists in 37 games played.

“Postma has been playing really well offensively all season, especially in recent weeks. Where he’s also doing really well is his play in the defensive zone. He’s doing a lot of little things right defensively and has improved this area of his game. To play in the NHL he’s going to have to be strong in his own end and he’s doing that for us,” said McCambridge. “ Redmond is a young guy who is really impressing in his first year in the league. He and Postma are having very good seasons and both deserve their spots in the all-star game.”
 
Postma is just 22 years old but will be playing in his second AHL All Star Classic, having suited up for the Western Conference all-stars a year ago when he was a member of the Chicago Wolves. Postma is in his third season of professional hockey and has four NHL games on his resume.

Redmond is a 23-year-old who is enjoying his rookie season of pro hockey. He was a star blue liner at Ferris State University last season when he wracked up 20 points in 26 games. Despite making the occasional rookie mistake as an IceCap, he has made a smooth transition to the professional game.
 
“We like the way he’s playing and obviously other people are taking notice of his game, too,” McCambridge told Brendan McCarthy of The Telegram, a daily newspaper in St. John’s, of Redmond’s play.
 
McCambridge said it will be exciting to have two of his players join him for the AHL All Star Classic and added he is considering making Postma and Redmond a defensive pairing in the game. He added the fact St. John’s will be represented by two players and a coach in Atlantic City is a direct result of the effort put forth by the entire IceCaps organization.
 
“It’s certainly an honour to coach in the game and to represent the IceCaps at the game, but this really is something the team earned,” said McCambridge. “The assistant coaches, the players, the trainers, management – everybody plays a hand in the success we’re having.”
 
Contact Darcy.MacRae@prohockeynews.com
Photos by Jeff Cull for Pro Hockey News