2018-19 AHL First, Second All-Star Teams unveiled

Alex Nedeljkovic, Goaltender (Charlotte Checkers):
Continuing to show improvement in his third pro season, Alex Nedeljkovic leads the AHL in wins (33-9-5), goals-against average (2.25) and minutes played (2,854) while helping Charlotte to the best record in the league this season. The 23-year-old native of Parma, Ohio, also has a .916 save percentage and four shutouts, manning the crease for the Checkers’ second-ranked team defense and top-ranked penalty killing unit. A second-round pick by Carolina in the 2014 NHL Draft, Nedeljkovic was the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month in both January and March, and earned his first career NHL victory on Jan. 23.

John Gilmour, Defenseman (Hartford Wolf Pack):
Third-year pro John Gilmour has recorded 20 goals and 54 points in 2018-19 – more than he produced in his first two seasons combined – to earn First Team All-Star honors. The 25-year-old Montreal native represented Hartford at the AHL All-Star Classic for the second consecutive year and skated in five NHL contests with the New York Rangers as well. The first 20-goal defenseman in Wolf Pack franchise history, Gilmour leads all AHL blueliners in points and has registered a team-high five game-winning goals this season, including three in overtime.

Zach Redmond, Defenseman (Rochester Americans):
Coming off a Second Team All-Star selection last year, Zach Redmond has notched 21 goals – a franchise record for a defenseman – and 29 assists for 50 points in 56 games for Rochester in 2018-19. The veteran blueliner from Traverse City, Mich., has set career highs in goals and points, has struck 10 times on the power play, and has nine game-winning goals as well. Redmond, who put together a nine-game scoring streak early in the year, has played 312 AHL games and 133 NHL contests in his eight-year pro career, and was a Calder Cup finalist with St. John’s in 2014.

Daniel Carr, Left Wing (Chicago Wolves):
Despite being sidelined by injury since early March, Daniel Carr remains among the AHL’s top scorers with 30 goals and 41 assists for 71 points in 52 games with Chicago this season. Carr, who had a four-goal game on Nov. 7, is also third in the league with a plus-35 rating, and his 12-game scoring streak from Feb. 1 to Mar. 1 is tied for the AHL’s longest this season. In his first season in the Vegas organization, the native of Sherwood Park, Alta., appeared in six games with the Golden Knights as well, collecting one goal.

Carter Verhaeghe, Center (Syracuse Crunch):
Fourth-year pro Carter Verhaeghe is having a career year in 2018-19, scoring 31 goals and leading the playoff-bound Crunch with 46 assists and 77 points in 73 contests entering the final weekend of the regular season. The Toronto native was originally drafted by the Maple Leafs in the third round in 2013, and was acquired by the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade with the New York Islanders on July 1, 2017.

Jeremy Bracco, Right Wing (Toronto Marlies):
Jeremy Bracco enters the final weekend of the regular season atop the AHL leaderboard with 78 points (21 goals, 57 assists) in 73 games for the Toronto Marlies. Bracco, who tallied six goals and 26 assists as a rookie in 2017-18, also leads the league in power-play scoring with 38 points. A 22-year-old native of Freeport, N.Y., Bracco was a second-round choice by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2015 NHL Draft and was a member of the Marlies’ Calder Cup championship team last spring.

Shane Starrett, Goaltender (Bakersfield Condors):
Named to the AHL All-Rookie Team yesterday, Shane Starrett has emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the league while helping Bakersfield reach the Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time in club history. Starrett has made 41 appearances in net for the Condors and has a record of 26-7-5 – including a personal 14-game winning streak from Jan. 12 to Feb. 25 – while ranking third in the AHL with a 2.31 goals-against average and fifth with a .919 save percentage. A 24-year-old native of Bellingham, Mass., Starrett signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers on Apr. 10, 2017.

Aaron Ness, Defenseman (Hershey Bears):
A veteran of eight AHL seasons, Aaron Ness earns his first postseason All-Star Team nod in 2018-19 after establishing career highs in assists (46), points (51) and plus/minus (+22) for a Hershey club that is returning to the Calder Cup Playoffs this spring. The native of Roseau, Minn., is first among all AHL defensemen in assists and second in points and power-play points (26). Ness was originally a second-round draft pick by the New York Islanders in 2008 and joined the Washington Capitals organization as a free agent in 2015.

Ethan Prow, Defenseman (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins):
Entering the 2018-19 season with 34 points in 104 career AHL contests, Ethan Prow has had a breakout campaign with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, posting 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points in 72 games and leading the entire Penguins roster in points and plus/minus (+28). A third-year pro from Sauk Rapids, Minn., Prow represented Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic.

Tyler Benson, Left Wing (Bakersfield Condors):
Adding Second Team All-Star honors to his 2018-19 AHL All-Rookie Team selection, Tyler Benson has tallied a team-leading 65 points along with a plus-22 rating while skating in all 66 games for Bakersfield so far this season. Benson ranks third in the entire AHL with 51 assists – the most by an AHL rookie since 2008 – and has helped pace a Condors offense that is averaging a league-best 3.53 goals per game. The 21-year-old native of Edmonton, Alta., was selected by his hometown Oilers in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.

Chris Mueller, Center (Toronto Marlies):
This is the first career postseason All-Star recognition for Chris Mueller, who has skated in 710 AHL games over 11 professional seasons. The two-time Calder Cup champion leads the league with 33 goals – a personal best – and is tied for sixth with 65 points in 59 games with Toronto, and is also one off the AHL lead with 16 power-play markers. A native of West Seneca, N.Y., Mueller surpassed the 500-point plateau earlier this season and has totaled 222 goals and 305 assists in his AHL career.

Andrew Poturalski, Right Wing (Charlotte Checkers):
With 47 assists and 70 points in 72 games, Andrew Poturalski is the points leader for the AHL’s regular-season champion Charlotte Checkers and sits tied for fourth in the league scoring race. A third-year pro from Williamsville, N.Y., Poturalski has set career highs in goals (23), assists, points and plus/minus (+16), and represented the Checkers at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic. Poturalski originally signed with the Carolina Hurricanes on Mar. 8, 2016.