Bourque, Boyd to skate in 2017 AHL All-Star Classic

January 5, 2017

(Hershey, PA- January 5, 2017)- Forward Travis Boyd of the Hershey Bears has been named to the roster for the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Capital BlueCross, the American Hockey League announced today. Boyd joins forward Chris Bourque, who was named a playing captain for the AHL All-Star Classic in December, as Hershey's representatives at the event which will be held January 29-30 at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa. 

The complete AHL All-Star Classic roster is available HERE. Both Bourque and Boyd will represent the Atlantic Division at the event. Each of the AHL’s four divisions will be represented by 12 players. Rosters were determined by committees of AHL coaches, and all 30 AHL teams are represented by at least one All-Star.

Boyd, 23, is currently Hershey's leading scorer with 30 points through 32 games this season. He ranks second on the team in goals (10) and assists (20). His plus/minus rating of +14 is tied for the team lead, and the forward ranks second on the team with a pair of game-winning goals. Only seven players in the AHL have more points than Boyd this season. 

The native of Hopkins, Minn. is in his second season with Hershey. As a rookie, Boyd tallied 53 points (21 goals, 32 assists) in 76 games with the Bears. He helped the club to the 2016 Calder Cup Finals, notching nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 21 postseason contests. Both of Boyd's goals in the playoffs were series-winning tallies, including  the decisive overtime goal in Game 7 of Hershey's series versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Boyd was selected by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Draft. 

Bourque was named to his fifth AHL All-Star Classic on December 19 with his selection as a captain by AHL President and Chief Executive Officer David Andrews. The forward is second among Hershey skaters with 29 points, and leads the team with 21 assists. The Boston native has hit several milestones this season, collecting his 600th career AHL point on Dec. 10 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and scoring his 500th point as a member of the Bears on Dec. 28 at Syracuse. Bourque is the AHL's active scoring leader with 608 points. 

In addition to Bourque and Boyd, former Hershey defenseman Mike Stothers, now the coach of the Ontario Reign, will serve as the coach for the Pacific Division All-Stars. Stothers played parts of eight seasons for the Bears from 1984-1992 and is the club's all-time leader in penalty minutes with 1,519. 

The Bears return to the GIANT Center for a pair of home games this weekend featuring rivalry games and big giveaways. On Saturday, January 7, the club hosts the Utica Comets at 7 p.m. It’s PSECU Knit Cap Night for the first 4,000 fans. It’s also Washington Capitals Night. On Sunday, January 8, the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to town for a 5 p.m. game at GIANT Center. The evening features a Jakub Vrana Labatt Blue Pint Glass giveaway to the first 3,000 fans and it’s also Girl Scout Night.