The American Hockey League today announced that Charlotte Checkers defenseman Trevor Carrick and forward Janne Kuokkanen will represent the Atlantic Division at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic.
Carrick and Kuokkanen will join Checkers coach Mike Vellucci at the event that will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Jan. 27-28.
This marks the second career selection for Carrick, who joins former Checker Jerome Samson (2011, 2012) as the only players to earn multiple All-Star selections with the team. A 24-year-old native of Stouffville, Ontario, who made his previous All-Star appearance in 2016, Carrick is currently tied for 12th among AHL defensemen with 21 points (5g, 16a) in 33 games. He is also tied for third among league blueliners with 10 power-play assists and is tied for second with three game-winning goals. A fourth-round draft pick by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2012, Carrick has spent all five of his professional seasons with the Checkers and currently ranks second in team history with 309 games played. He also ranks third with 119 assists, 155 points and 329 penalty minutes. Carrick has appeared in four career NHL games with the Hurricanes, including one this season.
This is the first All-Star selection for Kuokkanen, who ranks second on the Checkers with 27 points in 29 games. The 20-year-old also ranks second on the team with 11 goals that equal the amount he posted in 60 games as a rookie last season. A native of Oulunsalo, Finland, he also leads the team with six power-play goals and is tied for third on the team with 16 assists. Kuokkanen has played 11 career NHL games with the Hurricanes, who chose him with the 43rd overall draft selection in 2016, including seven this season.
Carrick, Kuokkanen and the Checkers finish a six-game Canadian road trip with a three-in-three set in Belleville (Friday and Saturday) and Toronto (Sunday) this weekend. They then return to Charlotte to begin a six-game home stand against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday, Jan. 11.