PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars Win 2008 CCM AHL All-Star Skills Competiition

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - BINGHAMTON, NY - Manchester Monarchs center Gabe Gauthier and defenseman Peter Harrold joined the PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars as they opened the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Reebok with a 15-9 victory over their Canadian counterparts in the 2008 CCM AHL All-Star Skills Competition at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena on Sunday night.

Gauthier posted just the second 4-for-4 effort ever in the Rbk Sickick Stick Accuracy Shooting competition and his Canadian teammate right wing Teddy Purcell was 4-for-6 in the same event.  Toby Petersen of the Iowa Stars took the CCM U+ Skate Fastest Skater title with a time of 14.001 seconds, and PlanetUSA captain Keith Aucoin of the Albany River Rats won the individual InGlasCo Puck Control Relay.

Canadian forward Mark Mancari of the Rochester Americans shattered the AHL record in the Rbk O-Stick Hardest Shot event with a blast clocked at 102.8 miles per hour.  PlanetUSA's Jonathan Ericsson of the Grand Rapids Griffins also topped the century mark at 100.1 mph.

PlanetUSA's goaltending trio of Milwaukee's Pekka Rinne, Grand Rapids' Jimmy Howard and Providence's Tuukka Rask combined to stop 46-of-57 shots on the night, with Rinne taking the Rbk XPulse Top Goaltender award by stopping 16-of-19 Canadian shots on the night.  PlanetUSA won its fourth Skills Competition in the last five years.

Gauthier also participated in the Toyota Breakaway Relay with Harrold and Purcell.  Harrold also showed off his skills in the InGlasCo Puck Control Relay and Purcell participated in the Rbk 9K Pump Skate Pass and Score competition.

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