Valentin Zykov’s breakout year continued Thursday as he was selected to the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic.
The 22-year-old currently leads the league with 19 goals, already eclipsing his 66-game total from a season ago and setting a new career high. Zykov also sits atop the AHL with 11 power-play goals and a 32.8 shooting percentage, as well as tying for second on the Checkers in points with 27 through his first 29 games.
Zykov is the 12th player in franchise history to be selected to the AHL All-Star Game. He is the sixth Charlotte forward to be named to the team and just the second since 2012.
The Russian forward will represent the Checkers on the Atlantic Division team for the event, which begins in Utica, NY, with the All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 28 and continues with the All-Star Challenge on Jan. 29. Once again, the All-Star Challenge will feature a round-robin, 3-on-3 tournament between its four divisions.