Pirates Weber/Gerbe to Start in AHL All-Star Classic

The American Hockey League announced this afternoon that Mike Weber and Nathan Gerbe have both been selected to play for the PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars in the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic being held January 18th and 19th at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Weber, a 22 year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native, is one of only two members of the Pirates to have played in all 34 games this season. The third-year defender has 10 assists this season (fifth most on the team) and his plus-16 ranking is tied for the second-best in the AHL.

Gerbe was voted as a PlanetUSA All-Star starter for the second straight season. The 22 year-old native of Oxford, Michigan, who missed the game last season due to injury, is currently on recall by the Buffalo Sabres. In 23 games this season the defending AHL Rookie-of-the-Year has collected five goals and 15 assists for 20 points. He also collected his first career NHL goal earlier this season.

Among the members of the PlanetUSA team are 18 first-time AHL All-Stars, including 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs MVP Michal Neuvirth of the Hershey Bears. The PlanetUSA club features five former first-round NHL draft picks: Lars Eller of the Peoria Rivermen, Jack Skille of the Rockford IceHogs, John Carlson of the Hershey Bears, Bobby Sanguinetti of the Hartford Wolf Pack and Ivan Vishnevskiy of the Texas Stars. Rochester’s Graham Mink will make his All-Star debut and serve as PlanetUSA captain.

Tickets for the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic – which include admission to both the Skills Competition and the AHL All-Star Game as well as an official commemorative All-Star Classic event program – are $49 (rows 1-12 in all sections) and $42 (rows 13-24 in all sections). To purchase tickets call (207) 775-3458, visit the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or go on-line at www.portlandpirates.com.

The Pirates (16-12-4-2) get back at it Thursday night when the Worcester Sharks visit the Cumberland County Civic Center. The Pirates and the CCCC are proud to bring you the annual Kid's New Year's Game featuring New England's largest indoor fireworks display following the 5:30 pm contest. The UNUM Challenge between the Pirates and Sharks continues with Portland leading the eight-game series 2-0-0-1. At each game in each city, one lucky fan is chosen from the submitted entrees as the UNUM Challenge Fan of the Game. Each fan wins a replica jersey and receives five (5) tickets to a future game. Special youth ticket pricing is in effect for the game with Main Deck and Quarter Deck tickets only $9 in advance and $10 day of game. Tickets for the game are available by calling (207) 775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or going on-line at www.portlandpirates.com.

--PORTLAND PIRATES COMMUNICATIONS--

Byron Dafoe and Ken Daneyko Named Honorary Captains for AHL All Classic in Portland

The American Hockey League announced today that Byron Dafoe and Ken Daneyko will serve as the honorary captains at the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic, to be held January 18-19 at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine.

Byron Dafoe played parts of four seasons in the American Hockey League with the Portland Pirates, Baltimore Skipjacks and New Haven Nighthawks. In 1993-94, Dafoe was named a First Team AHL All-Star and shared the Harry “Hap” Holmes Award for team goaltending with Olaf Kolzig, helping backstop Portland to a Calder Cup championship. Dafoe went on to play 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with Washington, Los Angeles, Boston and Atlanta, winning 171 games and recording 26 shutouts. He was inducted into the Portland Pirates Hall of Fame in 1999.

Ken Daneyko spent his rookie professional season in Portland skating for the American Hockey League’s Maine Mariners in 1984-85, compiling four goals, nine assists and 204 penalty minutes in 80 games. After another 21-game stint with Maine the following year, Daneyko would spend the next 18 seasons with the New Jersey Devils, becoming the franchise’s all-time leader with 1,283 games played. The rugged defenseman won three Stanley Cups in New Jersey and was the recipient of the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1999-2000 as the NHL player best exemplifying the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Dafoe and Daneyko will serve as the honorary team captains for the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic. Previous honorary captains have included Gerry Cheevers, Ron Hextall, Ken Holland, Larry Pleau, Adam Oates, Steve Thomas, John Ferguson, Ab McDonald, Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor, Adam Graves, Joe Kocur, Kevin Dineen, Gordie Clark, Lanny McDonald, Darryl Sittler, Don Cherry, Bill Dineen, Jim Craig and Al MacNeil.

The 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic will feature the 2010 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Monday, January 18 (8:00 p.m. ET) and the 2010 AHL All-Star Game on Tuesday, January 19 (6:00 p.m. ET), and will be televised live nationally in the United States and Canada.

Tickets for the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic – which include admission to both the Skills Competition and the AHL All-Star Game as well as an official commemorative All-Star Classic event program – are $49 (rows 1-12 in all sections) and $42 (rows 13-24 in all sections). To purchase tickets call (207) 775-3458, visit the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or go on-line at portlandpirates.com.

COURTESY AHL