Northern Conference All Stars Selections
On June 11th the leagues best will match up in the first annual All-Star Game in Edmonton.
The following players have been chosen to represent the Northern Conference.
Centers -
From the Massachusetts Militia Center Pavel Boyko- Boyko leads the Militia in scoring with 39 points in the first 36 games. He’s currently tied for 3rd place in the league for scoring.
From the Quebec City Harfang Center Dillon Salerno - Salerno at just 22 years old has already established himself as one of the brightest young players in the game. Leading the Harfang’s top line both even strength and with the power play he’s racked up 35 points in just 32 games. With 19 goals scored he’s 2nd in the league at this point.
From the Portland Twisters Center Maksim Rutenka - Rutenka handles all the prime ice for the Twisters and it’s no surprise that he leads the club in shots on goal as well as points with 40 in just 35 games. Currently the 2nd leading scorer in the league he leads all players with 14 points on the power play.
From the New York City Knights Center Tomas Rydval - The 25 year old Czech has been an instant success in New York with 25 assist and 35 points total so far. Rydval is without a doubt the top player for the Knights and a fan favorite in the Big Apple.
Left Wings -
From the Halifax Chaos Left Wing Maksim Lalancette - The 31 year old Canadian is making a name for himself in Halifax and throughout the league. Lalancette has attempted over 240 shots already this season so it’s no guess what’s going to happen when he gets the puck on his stick. He’s already accounted for 31 points this season.
From the Maine Mighty Moose Left Wing Juha-Pekka Kaukola - The 32 year old Finn is outshooting everyone the league at this point with over 180 registered shots on goal. Not surprisingly he is tied for first in the conference in goals scored with 19 and sits at 10th league wide in points.
From the Seattle Samurai Left Wing Kenneth Pehrson - At just 26 years old this young man looks to be a star in this league for quite some time. With 30 points so far he’s an offensive force for sure. Pehrson is part of a dynamic top line in Seattle which is 2nd league wide in goals scored.
From the Laval Redbull Left Wing Darel Lubanski - This young man logs top minutes for Laval and earns everyone of them. With 26 points and over 100 shots on goal he’s a talented offensive player. His 75 hits recorded shows he’s not afraid to do the dirty work either. Make sure you let him know this is an exhibition.
Right Wings -
From the Denver Bandits Right Wing Vladilen Kanareikin - This top pick has done nothing but exceed expectations in Denver. With 39 points in 32 games he leads the team in goals, shots and ice time for a forward. At 1.3 points per 20 minutes he leads all players in the league who qualify in that category.
From the Seattle Samurai Right Wing Ragnvald Myntii - The Samurai’s Captain will be doing his linemate in Edmonton. Myntii is a dynamic playmaker who can beat you with his passing or finish himself. With 15 goals and 17 assists it’s almost a perfect split, no wonder the goalies can’t figure him out.
From the Portland Twisters Right Wing Dalton Millar - Millar is an absolute force for Portland. His 37 points would lead most teams in the league. Sharing top line ice with Rutenka certainly helps but Millar is the guy making space for his line mates and setting them up for the finishFrom the Laval Redbull Right Wing more often than not. Together they are 1 and 2 league wide in power play points. Should be fun if we get to see them on the same line in Edmonton.
From the Laval Redbull Right Wing Donavon Linlithgow - This 22 year old is absolutely ready for the bright lights. At 6’3” tall and 211 lbs there isn’t anywhere on the ice he can’t go. He plays tough on the boards , dominates in the corner and finishes from in front. 26 points already in his first year of professional hockey is just the start for this young star. Laval’s got a good one and the fans love him already.
Defense -
From the St Paul Maulers Defenseman Jyrki-Petteri Hyytia - This young Finn is one the leagues biggest hitters on the blue line. At over 22 minutes per game Hyytia is a long term cornerstone for the Maulers.
From the Edmonton Blizzard Defenseman Ramazan Buranbayev - The young import from Kazakhstan looks to be a fixture for the Blizzard for years to come. With 19 assists in a second pair role he certainly has room to grow. And at just 23 years old there’s no reason to expect he won’t continue to improve as he develops.
From the Halifax Chaos Defenseman Rasmus Koso - Koso is a big body who fills out the Chaos top pair. With 18 assists and 80 shots on goal before the halfway point it’s clear that he loves to get involved form the blue line.
From the Quebec City Harfang Defenseman Elijah Sanner - Sanner has not disappointed one bit. Lots of scouts had him at the top of their board pre draft and he is showing us all why. 23 points, over 24 minutes per game, he’s a machine out there. This guy is someone you can plug into all your top lines and just know he will get it done.
From the Cape Cod Stingrays Defenseman Chipper Sammons - Sammons was an early season acquisition for Cape Cod and he has quickly taken over their blue line. With 28 points, 103 shots and over 23 minutes of ice per game he is clearly among the best in the league on the blue line.
From the Maine Mighty Moose Defenseman Alexis Pitsadiotis - The Moose certainly have a cornerstone piece here in Pitsadiotis. Among the leagues leaders in minutes played Pitsadiotis seems to always be on the ice for Maine. With his production it’s no wonder why that’s the case, 21 points, a +4 rating and solid play at both ends of the ice. Pitsadiotis was a lock to be here representing his club.
Goalie -
From the Massachusetts Militia in Goal Andrew Wiewel - Wiewel is a key reason for the Militia’s hot start. With 14 wins a 935 save percentage and a goals against below 2.50 he keeps his team in every game.
From the Denver Bandits in Goal Karim Hogdal - Hogdal is no surprise to see on this list. Leading the league in Wins with 16 and a save percentage of 925 he is clearly among the best in the conference and the league.
This team will be led by Neil Oliver GM Halifax Chaos. We will see who will be representing the Southern Conference against this group shortly.