Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
The Coachella Valley has lengthy been a winter dwelling for film stars and snowbirds drawn to its balmy climate and placing mountain views.
Now a few of hockey’s finest younger prospects are additionally making this sunny, scenic slice of California their winter dwelling, no less than for a few days. The placed on a present within the 2025 AHL All-Star Expertise Competitors introduced by Highlight 29 On line casino and Silvercrest on Sunday night at Acrisure Area, dwelling of the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Japanese Convention defeated the Western Convention, 19-13.
They’re additionally attending to know one another. Some know one another a bit from rising up collectively, worldwide competitions, or previous AHL on-ice battles. Now they’ll put these battles apart, disconnect from the constructing stress of the second-half stretch drive to the Calder Cup Playoffs, and simply calm down.
After one other busy day that includes a neighborhood occasion and the AHL Corridor of Fame induction ceremony, the gamers reconvene tonight for the 2025 AHL All-Star Problem introduced by Highlight 29 On line casino at 9 ET/6 PT. It’s 3-on-3 hockey in a round-robin format between the league’s 4 divisions. Followers can tune in from the USA on NHL Community, from Canada on TSN5 and RDS, and on-line at AHLTV on FloHockey in addition to FloHockey’s social platforms.
AHL main scorer Andrew Poturalski of the San Jose Barracuda is sort of acquainted with this booming AHL market. He was part of the primary two seasons of the growth franchise, reaching the Calder Cup Finals in each years. After signing a two-year take care of the San Jose Sharks final summer time, he has already made a few returns to his outdated rink as a customer, a Firebirds fan favourite who rapidly turned a Pacific Division rival nemesis.
However this time round, he’s as soon as once more well-liked with the locals.
“I don’t suppose you could possibly decide a greater venue for the AHL to have an All-Star recreation,” Poturalski stated. “The surroundings, the sector, the followers, the climate, you identify it, this place has bought it. I believe it’s simply excellent, a number of the finest followers within the league, for positive. They’re superior.”
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Owen Pickering hustled out to the West Coast after being named as a late addition. The 21-year-old rookie, taken within the first spherical of the 2022 NHL Draft by Pittsburgh, has made a easy transition to the professional recreation and has already performed 25 video games within the NHL. After a primary half of buckling right down to construct out an NHL-capable two-way recreation, the All-Star occasions afford him an opportunity to go offense-first. His Expertise Competitors included the Inglasco Puck Management Relay and the Higher Deck Breakaway Relay. And within the Silvercrest Go and Rating occasion, he teamed up with Hershey’s Alex Limoges and Simon Nemec of Utica.
“My teammates had been nice,” Pickering stated of the trio changing on two of three probabilities. “We had plans. Didn’t observe them in any respect. Simply let instincts take over.”
When you’ve gotten first-round decide expertise, letting these instincts take over is an efficient plan. Similar to Pickering, Springfield Thunderbirds ahead Dalibor Dvorsky had a stellar night time Sunday. Dvorsky, a 19-year-old who went to the St. Louis Blues because the tenth general decide within the 2023 NHL Draft, took the Silvercrest Accuracy Taking pictures occasion with 4 strikes on six makes an attempt. Then teaming up with Belleville’s Jeremy Davies and Toronto’s Alex Steeves, they went 3-for-3 within the Silvercrest Go and Rating. Dvorsky capped the night time by scoring within the Higher Deck Breakaway Relay.
“It was enjoyable,” Dvorsky stated. “It’s all the time enjoyable to shoot some pucks. General an excellent expertise, and I’m joyful I’m right here.”
On the American Hockey League beat for 20 years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally presently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is an everyday contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
