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Abbotsford Canucks defenceman Christian Wolanin named an AHL all-star

27-year-old will become the first-ever Abbtosford Canucks player at AHL All-Star Classic event
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Abbotsford Canucks defenceman Christian Wolanin has been named an AHL all-star. (Abbotsford Canucks photo)

Defenceman Christian Wolanin will make history next month and become the first-ever player to represent the Abbotsford Canucks at the AHL All-Star Classic.

The 27-year-old defenceman leads the American Hockey League in assists and sits third in league scoring with four goals and 35 assists in 33 games.

Earlier this season he established a new team record with points in 13 consecutive games. Wolanin has also been a pillar on the Canucks’ power play, which is second in the Pacific Division and ninth in the AHL. He was also named the AHL player of the week for the period ending Dec. 4.

“Christian has had an impressive start to the season,” stated Ryan Johnson, Abbotsford Canucks general manager. “His skating and puck movement have been a huge part of our team’s success to this point. This honour for him is very well deserved.”

This will be the second time that Wolanin has been an AHL all-star, as he was also named to the North Division team in 2019 when he was a member of the Belleville Senators.

The two-day event features a skills competition on Sunday, Feb. 5, followed up by the all-star challenge on Monday, Feb. 6.

It’s the first time all-stars have gathered in the league since 2020. This year’s host city is Laval, Que.

The game’s format features all-stars divided into four teams, with each team representing one of the AHL’s four divisions. Abbotsford Canucks players will suit up for the Pacific Division.

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.

It was announced on Jan. 1 that Calgary Wranglers coach Mitch Love will coach the Pacific Division team, as the Wranglers had the best record in the Pacific Division as of that date.

For more on the event, visit rocketlaval.com/en/tickets/2023-ahl-all-star-classic.

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Ben Lypka

About the Author: Ben Lypka

I joined the Abbotsford News in 2015.
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