MEECH YOU IN TORONTO

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The American Hockey League on Tuesday announced that Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Derek Meech has been selected to play for the Canadian AHL All-Star Team at the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic, which will be held Jan. 28-29 at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto.

Meech, in his third season with the Griffins and first as their alternate captain, was chosen to participate in his first AHL All-Star Classic by a committee of the league’s coaches. He will compete against Griffins teammate Kip Miller, who was previously tabbed by the league as the playing captain for the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star Team.

A 22-year-old native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Meech shows 10 points (1-9—10) and 20 penalty minutes in 36 games for Grand Rapids this season. Durability has been his hallmark, as he’s missed just six Griffins games – one to suspension, two to injury, and three while on recall to the Detroit Red Wings – during his career, totaling 44 points (11-33—44) and 145 PIM in 193 contests.

Meech, the Wings’ seventh choice (229th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, made his NHL debut with Detroit on Dec. 7, 2006 in a 4-3 win over St. Louis. In four games with the parent club, he averaged nine shifts and 5:47 in ice time while totaling a plus-one rating, four PIM, three shots, seven hits and one blocked shot.

Joining Meech on the Canadian AHL All-Stars are a pair of former Griffins, defenseman Sheldon Brookbank of the Milwaukee Admirals and starting forward Alexandre Giroux of the Hershey Bears.

Comcast Local will televise the AHL All-Star Classic live throughout Michigan, beginning with the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. and concluding with the AHL All-Star Game on Monday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.

2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic
Jan. 28-29 at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto

PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars

Forwards
Keith Aucoin, Albany
x-Brandon Bochenski, Norfolk
Ryan Callahan, Hartford
Tomas Fleischmann, Hershey
Josh Hennessy, Binghamton
Andrei Kostitsyn, Hamilton
Joel Lundqvist, Iowa
Kip Miller, Grand Rapids ("C")
Patrick O'Sullivan, Manchester
Drew Stafford, Rochester
x-Brett Sterling, Chicago
Bill Thomas, San Antonio
x-Erik Westrum, Toronto

Defensemen
Dustin Byfuglien, Norfolk
Andy Greene, Lowell
Peter Harrold, Manchester
Ville Koistinen, Milwaukee
Matt Lashoff, Providence
Filip Novak, Syracuse
x-Richie Regehr, Omaha
x-Noah Welch, W-B/Scranton

Goaltenders
x-Jaroslav Halak, Hamilton
Karri Ramo, Springfield
Marek Schwarz, Peoria

Head Coach: TBD
Assistant Coach: TBD

Canadian AHL All-Stars

Forwards
Dustin Boyd, Omaha
Troy Brouwer, Norfolk
Mathieu Darche, Worcester
Jonathan Filewich, W-B/Scranton
x-Alexandre Giroux, Hershey
x-Darren Haydar, Chicago
Mike Keane, Manitoba ("C")
x-Zenon Konopka, Portland
Jason Krog, Chicago
Clarke MacArthur, Rochester
Brad Moran, Manitoba
Kris Newbury, Toronto
Martin St. Pierre, Norfolk

Defensemen
Nolan Baumgartner, Philadelphia
Sheldon Brookbank, Milwaukee
x-Daniel Girardi, Hartford
T.J. Kemp, Manchester
Derek Meech, Grand Rapids
Curtis Murphy, Houston
x-Lawrence Nycholat, Hershey
Mathieu Roy, Hamilton

Goaltenders
Wade Dubielewicz, Bridgeport
x-Jason LaBarbera, Hartford
Curtis McElhinney, Omaha

Head Coach: Bruce Boudreau, Hershey
Assistant Coach: Bob Woods, Hershey

x-starters