JACK RATHBONE NAMED TO AHL ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American Hockey League has announced the 2021-22 AHL All-Rookie Team, as voted by coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 31 member cities. Abbotsford Canucks Defenseman Jack Rathbone highlighted the group with his 40 points in 37 games.
2021-22 AHL All-Rookie Team
Goaltender ― Dustin Wolf, Stockton Heat (46gp, 33-8-4, 2.33gaa, .924sv%)
Defenseman ― Jack Rathbone, Abbotsford Canucks (37gp, 10+30=40pts., +7, 3 PPG, 2 GWG)
Defenseman ― Jordan Spence, Ontario Reign (46gp, 4+28=42pts., +18, 2 PPG, 24 PPA)
Forward ― Jakob Pelletier, Stockton Heat (65gp, 27+35=62pts., +21, 9 PPG, 2 SHG, 8 GWG)
Forward ― JJ Peterka, Rochester Americans (69gp, 25+39=64pts., 3 PPG, 3 GWG)
Forward ― Jack Quinn, Rochester Americans (44gp, 25+34=59pts., 10 PPG, 1 SHG, 6 GWG)
Each player will receive a custom-designed crystal award in recognition of his selection to the 2021-22 AHL All-Rookie Team.
The 2021-22 First and Second AHL All-Star Teams will be announced on Thursday.
Jack Rathbone, Defenseman (Abbotsford Canucks):
After skating in just 16 games between the AHL and NHL during his first pro season in 2020-21, Jack Rathbone has flourished this season despite battles with injury and illness. Rathbone, 22, has averaged better than a point per game from the Abbotsford blue line, posting 10 goals and 30 assists in 37 AHL contests and anchoring a Canucks power play that ranks second in the league (23.8 percent). The Boston native and Harvard University product was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft, and has also appeared in nine NHL games with Vancouver this season.
Dustin Wolf, Goaltender (Stockton Heat):
Northern California native Dustin Wolf has had a remarkable rookie season in Stockton, posting a record of 33-8-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage for the league-leading Heat. A seventh-round choice by Calgary in the 2019 NHL Draft, Wolf did not lose in regulation until Jan. 4 (going 15-0-2 in his first 17 starts of the season), and has allowed two goals or fewer in 32 of his 46 appearances overall. The 21-year-old Wolf currently leads the AHL in wins, ranks second in minutes played (2,752) and saves (1,308), and is third in save percentage.
Jordan Spence, Defenseman (Ontario Reign):
A fourth-round pick by Los Angeles in the 2019 NHL Draft, Jordan Spence is the top-scoring rookie defenseman in the AHL this season, collecting 42 points (four goals, 38 assists) in 46 games with Ontario. Twenty-six of those points have come on the Reign’s league-leading power play, and Spence also sports a plus-18 rating that is tied for the highest on the club. The 21-year-old Spence made his NHL debut with the Kings on Mar. 10, becoming the first Australian-born player to play in the NHL; he has totaled two goals and six assists in 22 games with Los Angeles.
Jakob Pelletier, Forward (Stockton Heat):
Jakob Pelletier leads all AHL rookies with 27 goals and ranks second with 62 points in 65 games for Stockton this season. A first-round choice (26th overall) by Calgary in the 2019 NHL Draft, Pelletier has also scored eight game-winning goals – tied for second overall in the league – and ranks fourth among rookies with a plus-21 rating. The 21-year-old native of Quebec City played four seasons of junior hockey in the QMJHL and won a silver medal with Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
JJ Peterka, Forward (Rochester Americans):
Buffalo’s second-round choice in the 2020 NHL Draft, JJ Peterka has amassed 25 goals and 39 assists in 69 games for Rochester this season, good for the league scoring lead among rookies. Peterka, who turned 20 in January, also ranks first among rookies and fifth overall with 219 shots on goal. The native of Munich, Germany, also made his NHL debut earlier this season, appearing in two games with the Sabres. Peterka’s 64 points are the most by an AHL player in his U20 season since Guy Chouinard had 80 points as a 19-year-old with Nova Scotia in 1975-76.
Jack Quinn, Forward (Rochester Americans):
Limited to 15 games during an injury-shortened first pro season, Jack Quinn has been one of the most dynamic players in the AHL in 2021-22, compiling 25 goals and 34 assists for 59 points in just 44 games with Rochester. The eighth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Quinn has scored 10 power-play goals, a shorthanded marker and six game-winners on the season, and his 1.34 points-per-game average is third in the league behind only T.J. Tynan and Andrew Poturalski. A 20-year-old native of Ottawa, Ont., Quinn made his NHL debut in January and recorded a goal and an assist in two games with Buffalo.