Brayden Burke Selected To 2020 All-Star Classic
TUCSON, AZ – The American Hockey League announced today that the league has added Roadrunners forward Brayden Burke to the Pacific Division roster for the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport.
The 23-year-old Burke joins defenseman Kyle Capobianco, forward Lane Pederson and Head Coach Jay Varady as Tucson’s representatives at the event, which will take place Sunday, January 26 and Monday, January 27 in Ontario, California at Toyota Arena.
A second-year pro, the native of Edmonton, Alberta, currently has 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points through 33 games this season for the Roadrunners. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound forward also currently holds a share of the lead in power play goals among all Western Conference skaters with 10 and also is currently tied for second among all league skaters with game-winning goals.
With Burke’s addition, Tucson now joins the Milwaukee Admirals as the only organizations to have four representatives at the event.
The 22-year-old Capobianco now leads the Western Conference in points-per-game by a defenseman (min. 20 games), registering four goals and 16 assists for a total of 20 points in 23 games this season.
The selection is the third in as many seasons for the third round selection (#63 overall) of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 NHL Draft. In the 2018 AHL All-Star Challenge, Capobianco recorded three goals and three assists in four games, finishing second in points scored for the event and in 2019 he had a pair of assists. The third-year pro has played seven NHL games this season.
The 22-year-old Pederson has registered 16 goals and 18 assists for a total of 34 points in 35 games this season for Tucson, as of January 17.
The native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan currently stands fifth in the Western Conference with his 16 goals. This is Pederson’s first AHL All-Star Selection. With 23 goals during the 2018-19 season, Pederson led the team in that category, matching the single-season record by a Roadrunner.
Burke, Capobianco and Pederson are set to join their Head Coach Jay Varady, who will coach the Pacific Division as a result of the Roadrunners having the best record in their division prior to January 1.
The Roadrunners are one of just three teams to have multiple All-Stars both in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Capobianco joins further limited company being one of just three All-Stars to go to the event for a third straight year.
The AHL’s All-Stars will be divided into four teams, one representing each of the league’s four divisions, for the 2020 AHL All-Star Challenge on January 26. The 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.
The 2020 AHL All-Star Skills Competition will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events. In both the 2018 and 2019 All-Star Classic Skills Competition, Capobianco participated in the Puck Control Relay, Pass and Score and the Breakaway Relay.
