SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced today that the Laval Rocket have been selected to host the 2021 AHL All-Star Classic.
The first AHL All-Star Classic in the province of Quebec will be held at Place Bell on January 31 and February 1, 2021.
“The Laval Rocket have quickly emerged as one of the premier organizations in the American Hockey League,” said Andrews. “It is with great excitement that we bring our annual showcase event to Place Bell and the city of Laval in 2021.”
The 2021 AHL All-Star Classic will include the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, January 31, followed by the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony on Monday, February 1 and the 2021 AHL All-Star Challenge that evening.
In conjunction with the All-Star Classic, the Rocket plans to organize a major festival to celebrate Laval and its vibrant sports scene.
The announcement was made at Place Bell prior to the Rocket’s 100th regular-season home game in Laval today, and the official event logos were unveiled in the presence of members of the Laval and Montreal business and political communities, the club’s main partners, sports personalities and a legion of loyal fans. It was also announced that RDS will be the official broadcaster of the 2021 AHL All-Star Classic.
“We are thrilled to bring the AHL All-Star Classic for the first time to Quebec,” said Mark Weightman, vice president of development and operations at Place Bell and the Laval Rocket. “Not only will it feature high-end talent and several future NHL stars, it will also highlight the strides we have made as a team since our inaugural season. Over the past two years, we have forged important relationships with our partners and fans, whose support continues to grow each season. The AHL All-Star Classic will enable us to give back to our community and put Laval on the map.”
“Since their very first game at Place Bell, the Rocket have conquered the hearts of fans while shining a bright light on the City of Laval,” said Marc Demers, mayor of Laval. “The announcement that the American Hockey League’s All-Star Classic will be coming to Laval represents a tremendous source of pride that will allow more people to discover our exceptional island.”
While the festival’s full programming will be announced at a later date, fans can expect many activities, including some with the players invited to the All-Star Classic. Known for having a strong presence in their community, the Rocket plan on taking over Laval, starting with an entertainment hub at the Centropolis.
“Tourisme Laval is proud to welcome this wonderful festival that will boost our regional economy and put a spotlight on our city and its sports scene across North America,” said Genevieve Roy, president and general manager of Tourisme Laval. “This event will showcase Greater Montreal’s winter tourism offering, highlight the attractiveness of downtown Laval, and help position the region as an authentic family destination with unique and memorable experiences.”
The 2021 All-Star Classic announcement coincides with the team’s season ticket sales campaign for the 2020-21 season.
Rocket fans can reserve the best seats for the All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 31 and the All-Star Challenge on Feb. 1 by purchasing a full-season or half-season membership for 2020-21. All season membership holders for the current season can also renew their membership today, which includes tickets for the Skills Competition and the All-Star Challenge.
To provide fans with high-caliber, professional hockey at an affordable price, the Rocket have also announced a package deal for the All-Star Classic starting at $29, taxes included. This first phase of the campaign will end in the spring when new kinds of packages will be made available to the public. Individual tickets for each main event will become available at the start of the 2020-21 season with prices ranging from $24 to $69, taxes included. Furthermore, fans can benefit from a 20 percent discount on regular prices on group reservations as of today.
The 2021 AHL All-Star Classic will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League: since 1995, more than 94 percent of All-Star Classic participants have gone on to compete in the National Hockey League, including Cam Atkinson, Patrice Bergeron, Jordan Binnington, Ben Bishop, John Carlson, Zdeno Chara, Logan Couture, Connor Hellebuyck, Braden Holtby, Tyler Johnson, Martin Jones, Jonathan Marchessault, Brandon Montour, William Nylander, Kyle Palmieri, Zach Parise, Mikko Rantanen, Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Eric Staal, Dylan Strome and Mats Zuccarello.