Jan. 31, 2011 - theahl.com

HERSHEY, Pa. ... After posting a 19-7 win in Sunday’s Skills Competition, the Eastern Conference AHL All-Stars completed a sweep of the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross tonight with an 11-8 victory over the Western Conference in the AHL All-Star Game before a sellout crowd of 10,736 fans at the Giant Center.

Binghamton Senators rookie forward Bobby Butler, one of 34 first-time All-Stars on the two rosters, was named most valuable player after registering a goal and three assists for the East.

Andrew Gordon of the hometown Hershey Bears set an event record when he scored one of his two goals on the night just 14 seconds after the opening face-off, but the Western Conference responded with four straight tallies and took a 4-1 lead. The East then scored nine of the game’s next 11 goals to build a comfortable third-period advantage.

Bridgeport rookie Rhett Rakhshani joined Butler in posting a goal and three helpers; Charlotte’s Jerome Samson had three points (1-2-3); and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Robert Bortuzzo chipped in a pair of goals for the Eastern Conference. Five-time AHL All-Star Corey Locke from Binghamton picked up two assists and now has a league-record 11 career All-Star points.

Manchester goaltender Martin Jones (15 saves) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton counterpart John Curry (27 saves) combined for the victory in net.

Former second-round draft pick Michal Repik of the Rochester Americans paced the Western Conference’s offense with a goal and two assists, while Texas’ Francis Wathier netted a team-best two goals. Oklahoma City’s Alexandre Giroux, who won back-to-back Calder Cup titles with Hershey in 2009 and 2010, recorded a goal and a helper for the West.

The road to the 2011 Calder Cup Playoffs resumes on Thursday when the American Hockey League’s 75th anniversary season continues.