SHINE BRIGHT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 2018 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino that is being held this Sunday and Monday in Utica, N.Y., will reach millions of hockey fans worldwide through extensive television, internet streaming, radio and social media coverage.

Hosted by the Utica Comets, this year’s showcase from the historic Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium – with the 2018 AHL All-Star Skills Competition set for Sunday (8 p.m. EST) and the 2018 AHL All-Star Challenge to follow on Monday (7 p.m. EST) – will be produced by Concom, Inc., and will be televised to national audiences on NHL Network in the United States and Sportsnet across Canada.

AHLLive.com will offer a free online video stream of the two-day event (promo code ALLSTAR18) while SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (channel 91) will provide play-by-play of Monday’s All-Star Challenge.

Throughout the weekend, fans are encouraged to follow the AHL’s social media platforms on Twitter (@TheAHL), Facebook (fb.com/TheAHL) and Instagram (@TheAHL) and use #AHLAllStar to be part of the conversation.

Click here for the full AHL release.

Matt Puempel and Matt Lorito will represent the Central Division, and will be joined by athletic trainer John Bernal and equipment manager Brad Thompson.

Puempel has tallied 37 points (16-21—37) in 36 AHL games this season, including a team-high 34 points (15-19—34) in 31 appearances with the Griffins since the Red Wings acquired him via trade from the New York Rangers on Oct. 21. The 24th overall selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators, Puempel has logged 79 career games in the NHL between Ottawa (2014-16) and New York (2016-17) and combined to post 15 points (10-5—15).

Lorito, in his third year as a professional, has earned his second All-Star bid in as many seasons in Grand Rapids, joining Gustav Nyquist (2012-2013) as the only Griffins forwards to earn back-to-back AHL selections. He’s posted 30 points (12-18—30) in 36 games this season, including a team-high 18 points (6-12—18) on the power play. In his first year as a Griffin, Lorito led the team in points (56) and assists (34) and helped Grand Rapids win the 2017 Calder Cup.

Bernal is in his seventh season as the Griffins’ athletic trainer and his 17th in hockey, having helped Grand Rapids to Calder Cups in both 2013 and 2017.

A mainstay in Grand Rapids’ locker room since the 1997-98 campaign, Thompson is in his 17th season as the Griffins’ equipment manager and is a two-time Calder Cup champion.

The All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events.

In the All-Star Challenge on Monday, the four teams will participate in a round-robin tournament featuring six games of 10 minutes each, played entirely at 3-on-3. The two teams with the best records at the end of the round-robin will face off for the championship, a six-minute game also played at 3-on-3. The Central Division has claimed each of the last two All-Star Challenges.

All-Star rosters (as of Jan. 27)

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and staff of all 31 National Hockey League teams. More than 88 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers. In 2016-17, over 6 million fans attended AHL regular-season and playoff games across North America for the 16th year in a row.