SPRINGFIELD, MA - The American Hockey League and Manchester Monarchs, the primary affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, announced on Wednesday that goaltender Jeff Zatkoff and defenseman Thomas Hickey were named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team at the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic to be played at the end of the month at Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey on January 29-30, 2012.
 
Zatkoff, 24, owns a 10-4-1 record for the Monarchs this season, including a 6-0-1 mark on home ice and currently ranks third in the AHL with a 2.04 goals-against-average and second with a .935 save percentage. Zatkoff was recently awarded as the Reebok/AHL Goaltender Of The Month for December.  In seven appearances during the month, Zatkoff went 5-2-0 with a 1.70 goals-against-average and a .946 save percentage. The Detroit, Michigan native is in his fourth professional season and is 41-32-6 with five shutouts in 87 career AHL appearances.  This will be his first All-Star appearance.
 
Hickey, 22, has appeared in all 35 games for the Monarchs this season and currently is tied for sixth in the AHL with a plus-15.  On the season, the Calgary, Alberta native has tallied 11 points (1-10=11) and 15 penalty minutes. This will be Hickey’s first All-Star appearance.
 
Each team comprises of 24 players – 13 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders.  AHL fans determined the starting lineups via on-line balloting at theahl.com, while a committee of AHL coaches selected the remainder of the rosters.  All 30 AHL teams are represented by at least one All-Star.
 
The 2012 squads feature 34 first-time AHL All-Stars, 13 rookies and 20 players who have skated in the National Hockey League already this season, including standout first-year players Cam Atkinson of the Springfield Falcons, Andy Miele of the Portland Pirates, Cade Fairchild of the Peoria Rivermen and Gustav Nyquist of the Grand Rapids Griffins.  A total of 13 former first- and second-round draft picks were also named All-Stars, among them are Monarchs Hickey, Milwaukee Admirals Ryan Ellis , Syracuse Crunch’s Kyle Palmieri, Bridgeport Sound Tigers Calvin de Haan, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Simon Despres, Oklahoma City Barons Alex Plante and Toronto Marlies Joe Colborne and Nazem Kadri.
 
Players returning to the AHL All-Star Classic include AHL leading scorer Keith Aucoin of the Hershey Bears and reigning AHL MVP Corey Locke of Binghamton Senators, both of whom will tie an AHL record with their sixth career All-Star appearance.

St. John’s IceCaps Head Coach Keith McCambridge and Oklahoma City Head Coach Todd Nelson will guide the Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars, respectively, after their teams finished play on Jan. 1 with the best records in their conferences.
 
The 2012 AHL All-Star Classic will feature the top young talent in the AHL competing in an internationally televised showcase from historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Of the 562 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the NHL, including Patrice Bergeron, Dan Boyle, Daniel Briere, Ryan Callahan, Brian Campbell, Zdeno Chara, Jimmy Howard, Miikka Kiprusoff, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Pekka Rinne, Bobby Ryan, Martin St. Louis, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal, P.K. Subban and Tomas Vokoun.
 
Forwards

• Cam Atkinson, Springfield Falcons
• Keith Aucoin, Hershey Bears
• Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Connecticut Whale
• Chris Bourque, Hershey Bears
• Carter Camper, Providence Bruins
• Cory Conacher, Norfolk Admirals
• Boyd Kane, Hershey Bears ("C")
• Corey Locke, Binghamton Senators
• Colin McDonald, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
• Andy Miele, Portland Pirates
• Kyle Palmieri, Syracuse Crunch
• Trevor Smith, Norfolk Admirals
• Mats Zuccarello, Connecticut Whale

Defensemen

• Mark Barberio, Norfolk Admirals
• Calvin de Haan, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
• Simon Despres, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
• Thomas Hickey, Manchester Monarchs
• Matt Irwin, Worcester Sharks
• Paul Postma, St. John's IceCaps
• Zach Redmond, St. John's IceCaps
• Matt Taormina, Albany Devils

Goaltenders

• Michael Leighton, Adirondack Phantoms
• Tyson Sexsmith, Worcester Sharks
• Jeff Zatkoff, Manchester Monarchs

Forwards

• Joe Colborne, Toronto Marlies
• Philippe Cornet, Oklahoma City Barons
• Jon DiSalvatore, Houston Aeros
• Matt Fraser, Texas Stars
• Darren Haydar, Chicago Wolves ("C")
• T.J. Hensick, Peoria Rivermen
• Nazem Kadri, Toronto Marlies
• Krys Kolanos, Abbotsford Heat
• Jon Matsumoto, Charlotte Checkers
• Chris Mueller, Milwaukee Admirals
• Gustav Nyquist, Grand Rapids Griffins
• Brandon Pirri, Rockford IceHogs
• Jerome Samson, Charlotte Checkers

Defensemen

• Kevin Connauton, Chicago Wolves
• Ryan Ellis, Milwaukee Admirals
• Cade Fairchild, Peoria Rivermen
• Brayden McNabb, Rochester Americans
• Alex Plante, Oklahoma City Barons
• Colby Robak, San Antonio Rampage
• Frederic St. Denis, Hamilton Bulldogs
• Clay Wilson, Abbotsford Heat

Goaltenders

• Yann Danis, Oklahoma City Barons
• Cedrick Desjardins, Lake Erie Monsters
• Matt Hackett, Houston Aeros