Neil Graham to coach Central Division at 2024 AHL All-Star Classic
Dec 30, 2023SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American Hockey League announced today the four coaches for the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU, to be held February 4-5 in San Jose, Calif. By virtue of the Texas Stars clinching the lead in the Central Division by the pre-determined Dec. 31 deadline, Stars Head Coach Neil Graham was named the coach of the Central Division’s All-Stars.
The three other coaches who are leading their respective divisions are Hershey’s Todd Nelson, Cleveland’s Trent Vogelhuber and Calgary’s Trent Cull, the league announced today.
Graham, 38, has the Stars at the top of the Central Division with a 17-7-2-1 record and 37 points, earning him a second straight trip to the AHL’s All-Star Classic. The Calgary, Alberta native is in his fifth season as Head Coach after taking over on Dec. 10, 2019 when Derek Laxdal was promoted to Dallas.
Texas will start a new year in first place in their division for the second straight season, after previously accomplishing that feat Jan. 1, 2010. Graham led the Stars to the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2023 for the second straight season after Texas won the Central Division with a 40-20-9-3 record. It was the team’s third division crown in team history and the first since 2013-14. The Stars then won a playoff series for the first time since 2018, defeating Rockford 3-0 in the best-of-five Central Division Semifinals.
The AHL’s All-Stars will be divided into four teams, one representing each of the league’s four divisions, for the 2024 AHL All-Star Challenge on Monday, Feb. 5. 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 2024 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Feb. 4, will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events.
Photo Credit: Andy Nietupski