SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today the 2019-20 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams, as voted by AHL coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 31 member cities.
2019-20 AHL First All-Star Team
G – Kaapo Kahkonen, Iowa Wild (34gp, 25-6-3, 2.07gaa, .927sv%, 7so)
D – Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers (59gp, 10+38=48pts., 3 PPG, 18 PPA)
D – Brennan Menell, Iowa Wild (57gp, 5+42=47pts., +8, 3 PPG, 23 PPA)
LW – Reid Boucher, Utica Comets (53gp, 34+33=67pts., +8, 9 PPG, 7 GWG)
C – Josh Norris, Belleville Senators (56gp, 31+30=61pts., +9, 10 PPG, 4 GWG)
RW – Sam Anas, Iowa Wild (63gp, 20+50=70pts., 7 PPG, 35 PPA)
2019-20 AHL Second All-Star Team
G – Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals (33gp, 21-5-5, 1.92gaa, .933sv%, 2so)
D – Jacob MacDonald, Colorado Eagles (56gp, 16+26=42pts., +7, 7 PPG, 14 PPA)
D – Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets (57gp, 7+38=45pts., +17, 3 PPG, 17 PPA)
LW – Gerry Mayhew, Iowa Wild (49gp, 39+22=61pts., +16, 13 PPG, 10 GWG)
C – Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch (60gp, 27+29=56pts., +2, 9 PPG, 3 GWG)
RW – Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators (44gp, 16+38=54pts., +14, 3 PPG, 2 GWG)
Each All-Star Team member will receive a custom-designed crystal award in recognition of his selection to the 2019-20 AHL First and Second All-Star Teams.
Recent First and Second Team AHL All-Star selections include Cory Schneider (2009), Johnny Boychuk (2009), Ben Lovejoy (2009), P.K. Subban (2010), Jonathan Bernier (2010), Kyle Palmieri (2012), Ben Bishop (2012), Tyler Johnson (2013), Jonathan Marchessault (2013), Justin Schultz (2013), Sami Vatanen (2013), Gustav Nyquist (2013), Brett Connolly (2013), Jake Allen (2014), Mike Hoffman (2014), Petr Mrazek (2014), Colton Sceviour (2014), Matt Murray (2015, 2016), Jacob Markstrom (2015), Jordan Weal (2015), Colin Miller (2015), Brandon Montour (2016), Frank Vatrano (2016), Mikko Rantanen (2016), Travis Boyd (2017), Austin Czarnik (2018), Andreas Johnsson (2018), Mason Appleton (2018) and Carter Verhaeghe (2019).
The winner of the 2019-20 Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (sportsmanship, determination, dedication to hockey) will be announced Thursday.
2019-20 AHL First All-Star Team
Kaapo Kahkonen, Goaltender (Iowa Wild):
Building off a strong first season in North America, Kaapo Kahkonen had a standout campaign again in 2019-20, leading the AHL in victories (25-6-3) and shutouts (seven) and ranking fourth in goals-against average (2.07) and save percentage (.927). Kahkonen, who finished the year 10-1-1 (1.16, .961) with five shutouts in his last 12 starts, also earned a victory in his NHL debut on Nov. 26 at New Jersey and went 3-1-1 (2.96, .913) in five appearances with Minnesota. The 23-year-old from Helsinki, Finland, was the Wild’s fourth-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Jake Bean, Defenseman (Charlotte Checkers):
Following a debut season that included AHL All-Rookie honors and a Calder Cup championship, second-year pro Jake Bean led all AHL defensemen in scoring in 2019-20 with 48 points, also good for the Charlotte team lead. Bean recorded 21 points on the power play, and his special-teams play helped the Checkers rank third in the league in efficiency both with the man advantage (22.8 percent) and while shorthanded (87.0 percent). A 21-year-old native of Calgary, Alta., Bean was Carolina’s first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Brennan Menell, Defenseman (Iowa Wild):
Third-year pro Brennan Menell established a career high with 47 points in 57 games for Iowa in 2019-20, finishing second among AHL defensemen in scoring and first in assists (42). The 22-year-old native of Woodbury, Minn., is Iowa’s franchise record-holder in nearly all offensive categories for blueliners, with 101 assists and 116 points in 199 games over his AHL career. Menell signed as a free agent with Minnesota on Sept. 26, 2017, and made his NHL debut with the parent Wild this season, appearing in five games.
Reid Boucher, Left Wing (Utica Comets):
One of the AHL’s most prolific scorers over the last several years, Reid Boucher set career highs in 2019-20 with 34 goals, 33 assists and 67 points in just 53 games with Utica, finishing second in the league in overall scoring and first with an average of 1.26 points per game. Boucher authored a 16-game scoring streak from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31 – the longest in the AHL this year – and went consecutive contests without a point only twice all season. A 26-year-old native of Grand Ledge, Mich., Boucher has appeared in 133 career National Hockey League games with New Jersey, Nashville and Vancouver.
Josh Norris, Center (Belleville Senators):
Named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, Josh Norris was the AHL’s top-scoring rookie in 2019-20 with 31 goals and 61 points in 56 games for Belleville, tying for third in the league’s overall scoring race. Norris, whose father Dwayne was a First Team AHL All-Star himself in 1994-95, also made his NHL debut with Ottawa on Feb. 22 and appeared in three games with the parent Senators. The 21-year-old native of Oxford, Mich., was a first-round choice (19th overall) by San Jose in the 2017 NHL Draft and was acquired by Ottawa in a trade on Sept. 13, 2018.
Sam Anas, Right Wing (Iowa Wild):
Fourth-year pro Sam Anas won his first AHL scoring title in 2019-20, finishing on top of the league with 50 assists and 70 points in 63 games for Iowa. The 26-year-old native of Potomac, Md., who was also assessed only five minor penalties all season, racked up 42 points on the Wild power play, the most by an AHL skater in the last six years. Anas, Iowa’s franchise leader in assists (175) and points (267), signed as a free agent with Minnesota on April 15, 2016, after three seasons at Quinnipiac University.
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