HARTFORD, January 11, 2011: The American Hockey League today named Connecticut Whale right-wing Jeremy Williams to the Eastern Conference squad for the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross.
The 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross is coming up January 30-31 at Giant Center in Hershey, PA.
Williams, a seventh-year pro who signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent July 12, 2010, has scored 20 goals in 41 games on the season, which ties him for the AHL lead in that department. The former Toronto Maple Leaf has also added 12 assists in action with the Whale, giving him 32 points on the year, second-most on the Whale club. Four of Williams’ goals have been game-winners, tying him for third in the league in that category, including a pair of overtime tallies, and 10 have come on the power play, a total that is good for second in the AHL. He also ranks fourth in the league in shots on goal, with 140. Williams has also gotten into one NHL game this year with the Rangers, in which he was scoreless.
Originally a seventh-round pick (220th overall) by the Maple Leafs in 2003 out of the Western Hockey League, Williams has played in 370 AHL games in his career, with the St. John’s Maple Leafs, Toronto Marlies, Grand Rapids Griffins and the Whale, and has scored 142 goals and added 135 assists for 277 points. In 31 total NHL appearances with the Maple Leafs and Rangers, the 26-year-old Regina, Saskatchewan native has posted nine goals and two assists for 11 points.
Tickets for the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross – which include admission to both the 2011 AHL All-Star Skills Competition at 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 30, and the 2011 AHL All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 31 – are nearly sold out. Tickets remain available for the 2011 AHL Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Ceremony (January 31, 11 a.m.) and the Post-Skills Party (January 30, 6 p.m.). Contact the Giant Center box office at (717) 534-3911 for information.
The Whale finish off a stretch of four straight road games this Friday night, January 14 in Portland against the Pirates (7:00 PM faceoff, WTIC HD-2, www.ctwhale.com, www.wtic.com). That is followed by a pair of home games at the XL Center, this Saturday night, January 15 and Sunday, January 16.
Saturday’s game vs. the Providence Bruins faces off at 7:00 and features a special appearance by former Boston Bruin greats Rick Middleton and Reggie Lemelin. They will be meeting and greeting fans, and signing autographs, in the XL Center atrium from 6:00-7:00 PM to promote the February 19 Harvest-Properties.com “Whale Bowl” at Rentschler Field. Sunday the Whale will take on the league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 3:00, and there will be a free postgame skate, sponsored by Stone Academy.
Tickets for all 2010-11 Whale home games are available now at the XL Center box office, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ctwhale.com. Tickets start at $7 each at the XL Center ticket office on game day.
For information on Whale ticket packages, group sales and VIP packages, call (860) 728-3366.
