Hershey Bears goaltender Vitek Vanecek has been named to the 2020 AHL All-Star Game. Vaneck will join Bears teammate and the Atlantic Division captain, Matt Moulson, in Ontario, California over the weekend. The Bears also announced that forward Mike Sgarbossa is “unavailable to participate.”
The 24-year-old Czech goalie is 13-7-1 with a 2.37 goals against average and .910 save percentage this season.
The Bears announced the news in a press release at noon Tuesday.
The smiley and affable Vanecek is the Capitals’ second-round pick in the 2014 Draft. He has had exactly one more start (22) in the first half of the AHL season than Pheonix Copley (21) who magnificently backed up Braden Holtby last season but was sent down to the AHL after Ilya Samsonov beat him for an NHL roster spot.
Vanecek’s second-straight All-Star Game nod continues a good stretch for the depth goaltender who also participated in a Czech Republic national team training camp over the summer.
Vitek Vanecek is the number one star and gives a speech to the Giant Center crowd. "I love you guys!" pic.twitter.com/TfNwTpbatz
— Chocolate Hockey (@ChocHockey) December 3, 2017
More from the Hershey Bears:
VANECEK ADDED TO 2020 AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC ROSTER
Netminder to appear in second straight All-Star Classic; Sgarbossa unavailable to participate in event(Hershey, PA – January 21, 2020)- The American Hockey League announced today that Hershey Bears goaltender Vitek Vanecek has been added to the playing roster for the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport, to be held this Sunday and Monday, Jan. 26-27 in Ontario, California. This marks Vanecek’s second consecutive AHL All-Star Classic appearance.
Vanecek, 24, has gone 13-7-1 over 22 games with the Bears this season, posting a .910 save percentage and one shutout. His 2.37 goals against average ranks 7th in the AHL, and he has allowed two or less goals in 15 of his appearances this season. The netminder won six consecutive appearances for Hershey from Dec. 6-Dec. 27. He earned his first regular season NHL recall on Nov. 16, but did not receive any game action with Washington.
The native of Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic was Hershey’s lone representative at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts. The goaltender stood tall in the 3-on-3 All-Star Challenge, recording the best statistics of any goaltender, stopping 18 of 20 shots, posting a 1.06 goals against average, and a .900 save percentage in four games for the Atlantic Division.
In his AHL career, Vanecek has appeared in 132 games for Hershey, going 65-40-16 with a 2.64 goals against average, .904 save percentage, and 10 shutouts. He is tied with Ed Chadwick for the 10th most victories in Hershey franchise history, and ranks tied for 12th all-time in games played by a Hershey netminder, equaling Braden Holtby. Vanecek was Washington’s 2nd round draft pick, 39th overall, in the 2014 NHL Draft.
The netminder will join Matt Moulson as Hershey’s representatives for the Atlantic Division at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic. Hershey forward Mike Sgarbossa was also selected to play in the All-Star Classic, but will be unavailable to participate.
Tickets for the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport are on-sale now. Tickets, which include admission to both the AHL All-Star Skills Competition and the AHL All-Star Challenge, are available by visiting ontarioreign.com/allstar.
Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk
