CHL graduates taking in NHL All-Star experience
Montreal, QC – Carey Price isn’t going to get much rest during the NHL All-Star break this year.
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The Montreal Canadiens netminder and Tri City Americans graduate will suit up in the NHL YoungStars Game on Saturday and then will be the starting goaltender for the Eastern Conference in the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday.
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Price, who played four seasons with the Americans before graduating in 2007, is looking forward to playing his first NHL All-Star Game on home ice at the Bell Centre.
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“It’s going to be a lot of fun – especially with it being here in Montreal,” Price said. “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
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The fifth overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft is used to a busy workload. He played in 164 games during a three-year stretch with the Americans and has played in 27 games so far this season in Montreal. Price has posted a 16-5-5 record with a 2.35 goals against average and has quickly become a fan favourite at the Bell Centre.
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“It’s pretty cool,” said Price, who was the MVP of the 2007 World Junior Championships when he backed Canada to the gold medal in Sweden. “It’s awesome that everything fell together like this – 100 years (anniversary of the Canadiens), the All-Star Game. It’s a really good combination.”
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Price is one of 22 CHL graduates suiting up in the All-Star Game on Sunday, including Peterborough Petes’ graduate Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, who was the MVP of the All-Star Game last year in Atlanta.
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“Anytime you can be with the greatest players in the game – especially in Montreal, for me probably the best arena to play in the league – it’s going to be tons of fun,” said Staal, who played in the CHL Top Prospects Game in 2003. “The fans are great and they are going to put on a good show. Hopefully we can have a good game and everyone enjoys it.”
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15 CHL graduates will play in the YoungStars Game, which has been part of the NHL All-Star weekend since 2002. Sarnia Sting graduate Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning highlights the list of rookies that will play a squad of sophomores in the game on Saturday.
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CHL graduates joining Stamkos on the freshman squad are Drew Doughty (Guelph Storm) of the Los Angeles Kings and Luke Schenn (Kelowna Rockets) of the Toronto Maple Leafs on the blueline and forwards Kris Versteeg (Red Deer Rebels) of the Chicago Blackhawks, James Neal (Plymouth Whalers) of the Dallas Stars, Michael Frolik (Rimouski Oceanic) of the Florida Panthers and Mikkel Boedker (Kitchener Rangers) of the Phoenix Coyotes.
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The sophomores are backed by Price as well as defencemen Marc Staal (Sudbury Wolves) of the New York Islanders and Kris Letang (Val d’Or Foreurs) of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Forwards Bryan Little (Barrie Colts) of the Atlanta Thrashers, Dave Bolland (London Knights) of the Blackhawks, Brandon Dubinsky (Portland Winter Hawks) of the Rangers, David Perron (Lewiston MAINEiacs) of the St. Louis Blues and Devin Setoguchi (Prince George Cougars) of the San Jose Sharks.
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For Stamkos, the first overall pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL Entry Draft last June, it’s obviously his first experience in the NHL All-Star game but played in the OHL All-Star Classic twice and shares the event record with eight points in two games. He also played in the Home Hardware CHL Top Prospects Game last January in Edmonton and said that those experiences have helped him prepare for this weekend’s festivities, especially the three-on-three YoungStars Game format.
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“It’s pretty exciting to play in an event like this,” said Stamkos, who has six goals and 18 points in 45 games with the Lightning this season. “It’s going to be a great experience and a lot of fun. It’s definitely going to be a good experience and hopefully we can put on a good show.”
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The YoungStars Game goes Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern with the All-Star game set for Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Both events will be broadcast live on CBC, RDS and Versus.