SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League has announced the 2022-23 AHL All-Rookie Team, as voted by coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 32 member cities.
2022-23 AHL All-Rookie Team
Goaltender ― Brandon Bussi, Providence Bruins (31 GP, 21-5-4, 2.38 GAA, .925 SV%, 1 SO)
Defenseman ― Ryker Evans, Coachella Valley Firebirds (68 GP, 6-38-44, +21, 18 PPA)
Defenseman ― Jeremie Poirier, Calgary Wranglers (66 GP, 9-32-41, +6, 3 PPG)
Forward ― Ethen Frank, Hershey Bears (56 GP, 27-19-46, +12, 9 PPG, 4 GWG)
Forward ― Tye Kartye, Coachella Valley Firebirds (69 GP, 27-28-55, +17, 5 PPG, 2 SHG, 7 GWG)
Forward ― Georgii Merkulov, Providence Bruins (64 GP, 23-30-53, +3, 11 PPG, 5 GWG)
Each player will receive a custom-designed crystal award in recognition of his selection to the 2022-23 AHL All-Rookie Team.
Previous selections to the annual AHL All-Rookie Team include Zdeno Chara (1998), J.S. Giguere (1998), Daniel Briere (1998), Marc Savard (1998), Dan Boyle (1999), Robert Esche (1999), Ron Hainsey (2002), Jason Spezza (2003), Cam Ward (2005), Thomas Vanek (2005), Kevin Bieksa (2005), Jimmy Howard (2006), Dan Girardi (2006), Mike Green (2006), Jaroslav Halak (2007), Troy Brouwer (2007), Ryan Callahan (2007), Bobby Ryan (2008), Brian Boyle (2008), Alex Goligoski (2008), John Carlson (2010), P.K. Subban (2010), Logan Couture (2010), Tyler Johnson (2012), Gustav Nyquist (2012), Justin Schultz (2013), Jason Zucker (2013), Tyler Toffoli (2013), Ryan Strome (2014), Matt Murray (2015), Connor Brown (2015), Viktor Arvidsson (2015), Ryan Pulock (2015), Connor Brown (2015), Juuse Saros (2016), Brandon Montour (2016), Frank Vatrano (2016), Mikko Rantanen (2016), Casey DeSmith (2017), Devon Toews (2017), Jake Guentzel (2017), Ville Husso (2018), Filip Hronek (2018), Mason Appleton (2018), Daniel Sprong (2018), Dylan Strome (2018), Jake Bean (2019), Drake Batherson (2019), Josh Norris (2020), Jack Studnicka (2020), Alex Formenton (2020), Logan Thompson (2021), Connor McMichael (2021), Calen Addison (2021), Phil Tomasino (2021), Jack Quinn (2022) and J.J. Peterka (2022).
The 2022-23 First and Second AHL All-Star Teams will be announced on Thursday.
2022-23 AHL All-Rookie Team
Brandon Bussi, Goaltender (Providence Bruins):
Signed by the Boston Bruins as a free agent out of Western Michigan University, Brandon Bussi has been one of the AHL’s top goaltenders throughout his rookie season, posting a record of 21-5-4 while ranking second in the league with a .925 save percentage and fourth with a 2.38 goals-against average. The native of Sound Beach, N.Y., did not lose in regulation on home ice until Apr. 1, and has made at least 30 saves in a game on 14 occasions, going 10-1-3 in those contests. Bussi represented Providence at the AHL All-Star Classic in February.
Ryker Evans, Defenseman (Coachella Valley Firebirds):
The second player ever selected in an NHL Draft by the Seattle Kraken (35th overall in 2021), Ryker Evans has totaled 44 points in 68 games for Coachella Valley this season, leading all AHL rookies with 38 assists and ranking second in plus/minus with a plus-21 rating. Evans has also helped anchor the Firebirds’ power play, collecting 18 assists on the man-advantage. A 21-year-old native of Calgary, Alta., Evans participated in the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic.
Jeremie Poirier, Defenseman (Calgary Wranglers):
A third-round pick by the Calgary Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft, Jeremie Poirier has collected nine goals and 32 assists for 41 points in 66 games for the league-leading Wranglers in 2022-23. The puck-moving defender is also a perfect 4-for-4 in shootout attempts this season, the best mark in the entire AHL. Poirier, 20, is a native of Valleyfield, Que., and turned pro after four junior seasons with Saint John (QMJHL).
Ethen Frank, Forward (Hershey Bears):
Ethen Frank is tied for the AHL lead among rookies with 27 goals and has totaled 46 points in 56 games for Hershey this season. Undrafted out of Western Michigan University, where he led the nation in goals in 2021-22, Frank signed with the Bears on Apr. 11, 2022 and earned an NHL contract with the Washington Capitals for 2023-24. The 25-year-old native of Papillion, Neb., was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for January, and he set a league record in the fastest skater event at the 2023 AHL All-Star Skills Competition with a lap of 12.915 seconds.
Tye Kartye, Forward (Coachella Valley Firebirds):
The AHL’s top-producing rookie with 55 points (27 goals, 28 assists) in 69 games, Tye Kartye has been a catalyst for a Coachella Valley offense that ranks second in the league in scoring. The 21-year-old native of Kingston, Ont., is also second among all rookie forwards in plus/minus with a plus-17 rating, and his seven game-winning goals are tops for first-year players. Kartye was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for March after putting up 11 goals and 17 points in 15 contests.
Georgii Merkulov, Forward (Providence Bruins):
Providence’s team leader in scoring, Georgii Merkulov has registered 53 points in 64 games for the Bruins, good for second among all AHL rookies. He has netted 11 of his 23 goals on the power play, and his stretch of six consecutive games with a goal in February matched the longest such streak in the league this season. A 22-year-old native of Ryazan, Russia, Merkulov signed with Boston on Apr. 9, 2022, after leading all NCAA freshmen in goals (20) at Ohio State University last season.
