STAR-STUDDED NIGHT
TORONTO - Hartford Wolf Pack rookie Ryan Callahan scored with 3.3 seconds left in the third period to give the PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars a 7-6 win over the Canadian AHL All-Stars at the 2007 AHL All-Star Game tonight in Toronto.
The game was witnessed by a crowd of 7,839 fans at Ricoh Coliseum as well as national television audiences in Canada on Rogers Sportsnet and the United States on a series of regional networks.
Callahan, who ranks fifth in the AHL with 29 goals in the regular season, completed a comeback from three goals down to give PlanetUSA its second event sweep in the last three years. PlanetUSA posted a 19-14 victory in Sunday night's 2007 CCM AHL All-Star Skills Competition.
Brett Sterling of the Chicago Wolves, the AHL's leading scorer among rookies this year with 39 goals and 66 points, was named the 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Game MVP after netting two goals and an assist for PlanetUSA. Erik Westrum of the hometown Toronto Marlies added a goal and an assist, and Hershey's Tomas Fleischmann and Albany's Keith Aucoin recorded three assists each in the win.
Jaroslav Halak led the PlanetUSA goaltending corps with 19 saves on 21 shots in his one period of work.
Martin St. Pierre of the Norfolk Admirals recorded a goal and two assists and Alexandre Giroux of the Hershey Bears scored twice for the Canadians, who had a 5-2 lead late in the second period before PlanetUSA netted five of the game's last six goals. Milwaukee's Sheldon Brookbank and Manitoba's Jason Jaffray picked up a goal and an assist each for the Canadian side.
The road to the 2007 Calder Cup Playoffs continues when the American Hockey League's 71st season resumes on Thursday.
AHL All-Star Skills Competition results - PlanetUSA 19, Canada 14