Hershey Bears forward Ethen Frank and goaltender Clay Stevenson have been selected for the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU, joining playing captain Dylan McIlrath, head coach Todd Nelson, head athletic trainer Shawn Fliszar, and assistant equipment manager Dillon Filepas at the league's showcase event set to take place February 4-5 in San Jose, California.
Frank, 25, is tied for second in team scoring with 28 points (14g, 14a) in 36 games. His 14 goals are second on the team and are tied for eighth among all AHL skaters; he also leads Hershey with seven power-play goals, tied for second in the AHL. Frank is one of three players to have suited up for all 36 of Hershey's games this season.
The Papillion, Nebraska native is making his second consecutive All-Star Classic appearance after skating in the 2023 event in Laval, Quebec, where he shattered the record in the CCM Fastest Skater event, completing his lap in 12.915 seconds, becoming the first player to break the 13-second barrier in event history. The 5'11", 185-pound winger completed his rookie season with 49 points (30g, 19a) in 57 games, leading the Bears and all AHL rookies with 30 goals, while earning a one-year contract from the NHL's Washington Capitals on March 2, 2023. Frank was named to the AHL's All-Rookie Team before helping the Bears capture their 12th Calder Cup championship in franchise history, posting six points (2g, 4a) in 16 playoff contests.
In 98 career AHL games, all with the Chocolate and White, Frank has recorded 78 points (45g, 33a).
Stevenson, 24, has appeared in 18 games for the Bears this season, posting a record of 13-5-0, a 1.79 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage, and five shutouts, the latter three of which leads all AHL goaltenders. The netminder's 13 victories lead all AHL rookie netminders and rank fifth overall. Stevenson's five shutouts are tied for the Hershey single-season record for clean sheets by a rookie goaltender, shared with Vitek Vanecek (2016-17) and Ron Hextall (1985-86). Stevenson was named the AHL's Goaltender of the Month for December.
This is Stevenson's first selection to the AHL's mid-season classic. The 6'4", 195-pound puckstopper was originally signed to a two-year entry-level contract by the Washington Capitals on March 28, 2022, who announced they had signed Stevenson to a three-year contract extension on Dec. 12, 2023.
In 21 career AHL games, all with the Bears, the Drayton Valley, Alberta native has gone 16-5-0 with a 1.82 GAA, a .933 save percentage, and five shutouts. Stevenson has also appeared in 36 games for the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays, posting a record of 19-12-3 with a 2.54 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and three shutouts.
Frank and Stevenson will be joined at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic on the Atlantic Division roster by teammate Dylan McIlrath, previously selected by the league as one of two playing captains for the event, and head coach Todd Nelson, who is making his second AHL All-Star Classic appearance representing Hershey and fourth overall, a league record. Additionally, Bears head athletic trainer Shawn Fliszar and assistant equipment manager Dillon Filepas will represent the club as support staff for the Atlantic Division.
Joining members of Hershey on the Atlantic Division roster are: Bridgeport's Ruslan Iskhakov, Charlotte's Lucas Carlsson, Hartford's Mac Hollowell and Brennan Othmann, Lehigh Valley's Samu Tuomaala, Providence's Georgii Merkulov, Springfield's Dylan Coghlan and Adam Gaudette, as well as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Joel Blomqvist.
The 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU will include the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, February 4, followed by the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony on Monday, February 5 and the 2024 AHL All-Star Challenge that evening. Ticket packages start as low as $56, and include admission to both the Skills Competition and the Challenge. For more information, fans can visit sjbarracuda.com/allstar.
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