Winger Jagger Firkus and defenseman Tyson Jugnauth have been selected to represent the Coachella Valley Firebirds at the 2026 AHL All-Star Game.
Firkus is skating in his second AHL season, and he’s been the offensive force the Seattle Kraken predicted he would be when they selected him in the second round (35th overall) in the 2022 NHL draft. He had a strong rookie season, posting 15 goals and 36 points in 69 games, but the focus was on improving the other aspects of his game.
Now that he is honing in on those skills, his offensive game has been given the room to shine, and it’s doing so. In 35 games, Firkus has scored 14 goals and 35 points, one back of his rookie totals in nearly half of the games. He ranks sixth in the AHL in points while leading the Firebirds and ranking second on the team in goals. He’s been as impressive as any player on the Firebirds, and it won’t be long before we see the 21-year-old skate in the NHL.
Jugnauth is taking part in his rookie AHL campaign, and there hasn’t been much of an adjustment period needed for the left-handed defenseman. In 35 games, the 21-year-old has scored four goals and 26 points, ranking third on the team in points.
Selected in the fourth round (100th overall) by the Kraken in the 2022 NHL draft, Jugnauth’s development has skyrocketed, and he’s continuing to fly up the depth chart. He was impressive in pre-season this year, skating in two games while scoring a goal, but showing his two-way prowess. He’s not the biggest player on the ice, listed at 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, but he skates well and uses his hockey IQ to position himself.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. 12 players will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions. Committees of AHL coaches determined rosters, and at least one All-Star is selected from each of the 32 AHL teams.
Joining Firkus and Jugnauth on the Pacific Division roster are Filip Bystedt, Matvei Gridin, Quinn Hutson, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Andree Lee, Carl Lindbom, Jacob Megna, Isak Posch, Dmitri Simashev, and Tim Washe.
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