Trio of Texas Stars Forwards Selected to 2024 AHL All-Star Classic
Jan 10, 2024
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American Hockey League announced today the rosters for the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU, to be held February 4-5 in San Jose, California. Three players from the Texas Stars were selected to represent the Central Division, including forwards Matej Blumel, Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven.
Blumel, 23, is pacing close to a point per game this season, posting 28 points (14-14=28) in 31 contests for Texas, including a team-best three game-winning goals. The second-year Stars winger ranks third on the team in goals (14) and points (28), while sharing second in plus/minus rating (+12).
The Tabor, Czech Republic, native was originally selected in the fourth round (100th overall) by the Edmonton Oilers in 2019, but went unsigned. The Dallas Stars signed Blumel to an entry-level contract June 6, 2022 and he burst onto the scene as a rookie, totaling 44 points (19-25=44) in 58 AHL games, including seven power play markers. He registered a point in each of his first seven AHL games (5-6=11) for Texas from Oct. 14-Nov.4, 2022 and made his NHL debut Nov. 11, 2022 for Dallas against San Jose. Blumel scored his first NHL goal Nov. 13, 2022 at Philadelphia and played six games for Dallas last season.
Bourque, 22, leads the AHL with 41 points (15-26=41) in 31 games this season, ranks second with 26 assists and shares sixth with 15 goals. The second-year Stars center achieved his first four-point game Nov. 29 with four assists in a 6-5 overtime win at San Diego. He was named the AHL’s Player of the Month in November after racking up 17 points (4-13=17) in 10 games. Bourque later became just the second player in Texas Stars history to score four goals in a game, carrying the Stars to a 4-3 overtime win Dec. 19 vs. Grand Rapids, earning him a second career Player of the Week recognition Dec. 26.
The Plessisville, Quebec, native was selected in the first round (30th overall) by the Dallas Stars in 2020 and has 93 points (36-57=93) in 107 AHL games for Texas. Bourque led all Texas rookies in 2022-23 with 20 goals and 47 points (20-27=47), scored his first pro hat trick on April 7, 2023 at Tucson, and was named AHL Player of the Week after scoring five total goals in that weekend’s two games against the Roadrunners. Prior to turning pro, Bourque captained the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes to a 2021-22 Memorial Cup appearance and was named the QMJHL’s Playoff MVP.
Stankoven, 20, leads all AHL rookies this season with 15 goals and 39 points (15-24=39), along with a +11 rating through his first 31 professional games. He scored in seven of the Stars’ first eight home games and his 39 points are second in the entire league, behind Bourque. Stankoven put up eight goals and 15 points (8-7=15) in 10 games during the month of November, earning him Rookie of the Month honors and he tied a franchise-record 11-game point streak with 16 points (8-8=16) from Nov. 10-Dec. 9.
The Kamloops, British Columbia, native was selected in the second round (47th overall) by the Dallas Stars in 2021 and produced 260 points (115-145=260) in 179 games for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. Stankoven won back-to-back gold medals with Team Canada at the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championships and was named the CHL’s Player of the Year in 2021-22 after posting 104 points (45-59=104) in 59 games.
The trio of Dallas prospects will join Texas head coach Neil Graham, who was named the coach of the Central Division All-Stars for the second straight season, by virtue of the Stars being in first place at the pre-determined Jan. 1 deadline.
The AHL’s All-Stars will be divided into four teams, one representing each of the league’s four divisions, for the 2024 AHL All-Star Challenge on Monday, Feb. 5. 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 2024 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Feb. 4, will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events.
Head to www.theahl.com to view the complete All-Star Classic rosters.
The Stars return to the ice Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 5:00 p.m. as Texas hosts the Chicago Wolves at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Tickets are available at www.texasstars.com/tickets.
Photo Credit: Texas Stars (Andy Nietupski, Left/Center | Ross Bonander, Right)
**Full-sized photos available upon request.