January 4, 2011

The Adirondack Phantoms are pleased to announce that goaltender Michael Leighton has been selected to play at the 2012 All-Star Classic in Atlantic City, NJ on Monday January 30. Leighton will be one of three goalies on the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

This will be Leighton's third appearance in an AHL All-Star Classic having also played in 2008 representing the Albany River Rats on the Canadian AHL All-Stars and in 2002 as a member of the Norfolk Admirals on the Canadian team.

Leighton started in the All-Star Classic in January, 2008 as a member of the Albany River Rats in a contest played in Binghamton. He later won the Aldedge "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the top goaltender in the league that season. Denis Hamel, then of the Binghamton Senators, was the honorary captain for Team Canada in that year's All-Star Classic.

His 2002 appearance at the AHL All-Star Classic was at Mile One Centre in St John's, Newfoundland and Labradour, then the home of the St. John's Maple Leafs.

The 30-year-old from Petrolia, Ontario is in his second season with the Adirondack Phantoms and has gone 11-11-0, 2.44, .920 in 2011-12. Leighton has 35 career shutouts which is sixth most in American Hockey League history and the most of any AHL goalie since 1975. Leighton had five shutouts with the Phantoms last season and has one this year, on October 21 at the Portland Pirates.

Leighton is the Norfolk Admirals all-time franchise leader in career wins (75) and shutouts (18) stemming from his time with the Chicago Blackhawks affiliate from 2001-05. He has also backstopped for the Rochester Americans (2005-06), Portland Pirates (2006-07) and Albany River Rats (2007-08) as well as the Philadelphia and Adirondack Phantoms in an AHL career that has now spanned 307 games.

He has played in 105 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers going 35-44-14, 2.95, .902. In 2010, he helped lead the Flyers to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in decades during a postseason run that included three shutouts of the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Leighton set an AHL record in one of the most famous games in league history on April 22, 2008. As a goalie for the Albany River Rats, he made a remarkable 98 saves on 101 shots in a five overtime playoff marathon against the Philadelphia Phantoms.

Leighton started for the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2010 at Fenway Park in Boston and is scheduled to be the starting goalie for the Adirondack Phantoms in their Outdoor Classic on January 6 at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia thus making him the only goalie to start outdoor games in the NHL and AHL.

Fans will have the opportunity to vote for Leighton as the starting goalie for the Eastern Conference squad as they will get to choose all the starters via online balloting which begins on Thursday, January 5 and runs through January 23.

Tickets for the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic - which include admission to both the 2012 AHL All-Star Skills Competition at 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 29, and the 2012 AHL All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 30 - are on sale now at the Boardwalk Hall box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 736-1420 or at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available for thePost-Skills Party (January 29, 5:30 p.m.) and the 2012 AHL Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Ceremony (January 30, 11 a.m.) at Caesars Atlantic City.

The 2012 AHL All-Star Classic will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League 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 National Hockey League, 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 andTomas Vokoun.

The 2012 AHL All-Star Classic is presented by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, Caesars Entertainment, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and the American Hockey League. For destination information about Atlantic City, please visit www.atlanticcitynj.com
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Upcoming Phantoms Events

Wednesday, January 4, 7:00 - Binghamton Senators at Phantoms. $1 hot dogs.

Friday, January 6, 7:00 - Outdoor Classic! Hershey Bears vs. Adirondack Phantoms at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Saturday, January 7, 7:00 - Adirondack Phantom at Hershey Bears

Monday, January 9, 7:00 - Phantoms Power Hour LIVE at McGinny's Tavern. Player guests Ben Holmstrom and Eric Wellwood. Also with Tim McManus of the Post-Star.

Friday, January 13, 7:00 - Hamilton Bulldogs at Adirondack Phantoms. Fun in the Sun Weekend! $2 draft-beer specials

Saturday, January 14, 7:00 - Manchester Monarchs at Adirondack Phantoms. Fun in the Sun Weekend! Post-game Pics with Players on the Ice.

Get great savings with the Phantoms when you bring your group of 15 friends or co-workers to a game. Group-rates available as low as $13 per person. Call the Phantoms to find out more at 518-480-3355.

Catch all the action of Phantoms hockey all season long on the team's flagship station, Classic Hits Q101.7 and on phantomshockey.com. Bob Rotruck has the broadcast coverage 30 minutes prior to game-time with Countdown to Faceoff.. Be sure to follow the Phantoms on twitter @phantomshockey and on facebook.com/adkhockey