GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer David Andrews announced today that Grand Rapids Griffins forward Matthew Ford will serve as one of the two playing captains for the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport, to be held January 26-27 in Ontario, Calif. Hershey Bears forward Matt Moulson was also selected.

Captains for the AHL All-Star teams are selected by the league president each year in recognition of their outstanding leadership and service.

A Southern California native, Ford, 35, is in his fourth season with Grand Rapids and his 12th in the AHL in 2019-20. In his third year as Grand Rapids’ captain, he has tallied four goals and 10 assists in 23 games this season and has compiled 200 goals and 217 assists for 417 points in 687 career AHL contests with Grand Rapids, Bakersfield, Oklahoma City, Springfield, Adirondack, Hershey, Lake Erie and Hartford. Ford, a Calder Cup champion with the Griffins in 2017 and an NCAA champion at the University of Wisconsin in 2006, will be making his first trip to the AHL All-Star Classic.

Ford becomes the fourth Griffin to be chosen as a playing captain for an AHL All-Star Classic, joining Jeff Hoggan (2016, West), Kip Miller (2007, PlanetUSA) and Travis Richards (2004, PlanetUSA).

Tickets for the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport, which include admission to both the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Jan. 26, and the AHL All-Star Challenge on Monday, Jan. 27, are available now by visiting ontarioreign.com/allstar.

The 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League: since 1995, more than 95 percent of All-Star Classic participants have gone on to compete in the National Hockey League, including Cam Atkinson, Patrice Bergeron, Jordan Binnington, Ben Bishop, John Carlson, Zdeno Chara, Logan Couture, Connor Hellebuyck, Braden Holtby, Tyler Johnson, Andreas Johnsson, Martin Jones, Jonathan Marchessault, Brandon Montour, William Nylander, Kyle Palmieri, Zach Parise, Mikko Rantanen, Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Dylan Strome, P.K. Subban and Mats Zuccarello.

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and staff of all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers. In 2018-19, over 7 million fans attended AHL regular-season and playoff games across North America.

Photo by Sam Iannamico/Griffins