Alumni Report – 2/3/17
Seth Jones Wins NHL All-Star Game
For former Winterhawks star Seth Jones, his first trip to the NHL All-Star Game of his career was a successful and memorable one. Jones fired home two goals in the 3-on-3 tournament, including this one in the final win over Team Pacific:
Team Metropolitan was full of stars, including Captain Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and surprise coach Wayne Gretzky. Jones fit in with that group, and will cherish the memories of the Top 100 Weekend for years to come:
Jones followed his two-goal effort in the All-Star Game with another two-goal performance in the first game after the All-Star break, this time against the New York Rangers:
For Jones those were his eighth and ninth goals this season, a new career-high. He’s become the legitimate top-pairing defenseman and NHL star we all knew he would become back when he led the Hawks to the 2013 WHL Title.
Leier, Bjorkstrand Light Lamp
Jones wasn’t the only former Hawk starring in an All-Star Game this week. Both Taylor Leier and Oliver Bjorkstrand shone in the AHL All-Star Classic Monday night. Before we get into their performances, the event kicked off with a fantastic tribute to former Winterhawks star Craig Cunningham:
Keep an eye on TheAHL.com in the coming weeks to see about snagging the Taylor Leier or Oliver Bjorkstrand warmups to your collection.
Turning to the action of the game, Oliver Bjorkstrand fired home two goals and one assist to help lead the Central Division to the title in the 3-on-3 round-robin format. But the star of the show among Hawks alumni, despite his team coming up just short against Bjorkstrand’s group in the final, was former Hawks Captain Taylor Leier.
Leier, member of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms who were hosting the All-Star Classic, was named the game’s MVP. He contributed three goals to the cause as the Central Division advanced to the final in front of their hometown crowd. Leier, as mentioned last week, has had a breakout season in the professional ranks including a 10-game stint in the NHL with the Flyers earlier this season. So how does an All-Star MVP celebrate? A selfie with the fans of course:
Congrats Taylor!
