MCNEILL ADDED TO ALL-STAR ROSTER, BRENNAN NAMED STARTER

Roster changes and starting lineups announced for Monday’s All-Star Game

Springfield, Mass. – When the American Hockey League’s All-Star Classic gets underway from Utica, N.Y. next week it will include Rockford IceHogs forward Mark McNeill.

The league announced on Wednesday that McNeill will replace Joakim Nordstrom who is currently with the Chicago Blackhawks. Additionally, defenseman T.J. Brennan has been voted into the starting lineup.

McNeill, 21, will make his first All-Star Game after a strong start to his second professional season. The Edmonton, Alberta ranks second on the club with 12 goals and third in scoring with 23 points despite missing 13 games due to injury. Prior to the injury, McNeill was pacing the team in scoring after he compiled a six game scoring streak (7g-4a) from Oct. 31 to Nov. 14. The hot stretch also featured his first career hat trick on Nov. 8 and three separate multi-point efforts.

The AHL also announced the results of the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic Fan Balloting presented by CCM, as league fans voted to determine the starting lineups for Monday night’s 2015 AHL All-Star Game:

A very limited number of tickets remain available for the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino. They can be purchased in person at the Utica Memorial Auditorium box office (10-4 ET), by phone at 800-693-8000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets for the two-day event are priced as low as $69 and include admission to both the All-Star Skills Competition at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25 and the All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26.

In addition, complimentary tickets for the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony are available by visiting the Turning Stone Resort Casino box office (10 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET) or by phone at 877-833-7469. The AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, to be held in The Showroom at Turning Stone Resort Casino at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, will feature the induction of Frederic Cassivi, James C. Hendy, Bronco Horvath and Art Stratton as the AHL Hall of Fame Class of 2015 and will also celebrate honorary All-Star Classic captains Bill Guerin and Eric Weinrich.

The 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League: Of the 644 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 94 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Ben Bishop, Ryan Callahan, Zdeno Chara, Logan Couture, Jimmy Howard, Chris Kunitz, Ryan Miller, Gustav Nyquist, Zach Parise, Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Bobby Ryan, Martin St. Louis, Cory Schneider, Patrick Sharp, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal and P.K. Subban.