Neil Graham Named Central Division Head Coach for 2023 AHL All-Star Classic

Jan 1, 2023

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American Hockey League announced today the four coaches for the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Bell in collaboration with Manulife Bank, to be held February 5-6 in Laval, Que. By virtue of the Texas Stars leading their division by today’s deadline, Stars Head Coach Neil Graham was named the coach of the Central Division’s All-Stars.

 

The three other coaches who are leading their respective divisions by the pre-determined deadline are Hershey’s Todd Nelson, Toronto’s Greg Moore and Calgary’s Mitch Love, the league announced today.

 

Graham, 37, has the Stars at the top of the Central Division, riding an active 10-game point streak to a 19-7-3-2 record and 43 points in the standings. The Calgary, Alberta native is in his fourth season as Head Coach after taking over on Dec. 10, 2019 when Derek Laxdal was promoted to Dallas.

 

Texas finished December with a 10-0-1 record during the month, which including a 53-21 goal differential during that span. The Stars will start a new year in first place in their division for the first time since Jan. 1, 2010. Graham also led the Stars to the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2018, as Texas won its last four games to qualify.

 

The AHL’s All-Stars will be divided into four teams, one representing each of the league’s four divisions, for the 2023 Mise-o-jeu AHL All-Star Challenge on Monday, Feb. 6. The teams will participate in a round-robin 3-on-3 tournament featuring six games of 10 minutes each. The two teams with the best records at the end of the round-robin will face off for the championship, a six-minute game also played at 3-on-3.

 

The 2023 Rona AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Feb. 5, will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events.

 

Photo Credit: Andy Nietupski