Top prospects set for AHL All-Star Classic

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The American Hockey League is set to host its annual All-Star Classic next week, featuring many of the NHL's top young prospects. Meanwhile, the Grand Rapids Griffins and Providence Bruins are engaged in a tight race for the best record in the league, and several first-round draft picks are making waves, including Carolina's Bradly Nadeau and Arizona's Dmitri Simashev.

Why it matters

The AHL All-Star Classic provides a platform for the league's top prospects to showcase their talents in front of NHL scouts and fans. The tight race between the Griffins and Bruins highlights the competitive nature of the AHL, while the standout performances of Nadeau and Simashev demonstrate the depth of young talent in the league and the continued development of NHL draft picks.

The details

The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the skills competition and 3-on-3 tournament being broadcast nationally. Of the 48 players selected, 12 are NHL first-round picks and seven are second-round selections. Laval's Laurent Dauphin leads the league in points, while Belleville's Arthur Kaliyev tops the goal-scoring charts. Top goalie prospects Jacob Fowler and Sergei Murashov will also be in attendance.

• The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 11-12, 2026.
• Grand Rapids has a 30-3-2-1 record through the first 36 games of the season, four points ahead of Providence.
• Providence won seven straight games through February 1, including a sweep of Charlotte.
• Michael DiPietro was named the AHL Goaltender of the Month for January, going 8-1-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and .947 save percentage.
• Bradly Nadeau, a Carolina Hurricanes prospect, was named the AHL Player of the Month for January, recording 18 points in 13 games for Chicago.

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