Each year, the All-Star Classic honorary captains join participating teams in the locker room and on the benches during the event, and are recognized for their careers at the annual AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony.
Patrick Sharp played 163 games with the Philadelphia Phantoms during his first three seasons as a pro, totaling 52 goals and 114 points. In 2004–05, he represented the Phantoms in the 2005 AHL All-Star Classic and later recorded 21 points in 21 postseason games – including a team-best four goals and six points in the finals – as Philadelphia won the Calder Cup. Sharp would go on to skate in 939 regular season games and 142 playoff games in the National Hockey League with Philadelphia, Chicago and Dallas, and was instrumental in the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He also captured a gold medal as a member of Team Canada at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Kris Versteeg skated in 145 games in the AHL with Providence, Norfolk and Rockford, including a stint as captain of the IceHogs in 2019-2020. Versteeg scored 26 goals and 72 points in 70 games and finished fourth among all AHL rookies in scoring in 2006-07 before graduating to the National Hockey League, where he would play in 643 games over 11 seasons with Chicago, Toronto, Philadelphia, Florida, Carolina, Los Angeles and Calgary. Versteeg was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2008-09 and won two Stanley Cup titles with the Blackhawks, in 2010 and 2015.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO includes the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Tuesday, February 10, followed by the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, February 11, and the 2026 AHL All-Star Challenge that evening. Fans can contact us for ticket information icehogs.com/asc26.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO will feature the American Hockey League’s top young talent: since 1995, more than 94 percent of All-Star Classic participants have competed in the National Hockey League, including Yaroslav Askarov, Drake Batherson, Jordan Binnington, John Carlson, Brandt Clarke, Thatcher Demko, Lucas understood, Richer Evans, Thomas Harley, Connor Hellebuyck, Joel Hofer, Tristan Jarry, Jordan Kyrou, Jonathan Marchessault, Jacob Markstrom, JT Molenaar, Brandon Montour, William Nylander, Kyle Palmieri, Mikko Rantanen, Dylan Strome, Tyler Toffoli, Linus Ullmark, Dustin Wolf And Mats Zuccarello.
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the premier development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and staff of all 32 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of current NHL players are graduates of the American Hockey League, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame have spent time in the AHL during their careers.
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