Texas' Matt Fraser Earns Spot on Second AHL All-Star Team

Matt Fraser scores his first goal as a Star in October 2011. He now holds the all-time goal record for Texas at 70. (Credit: Texas Stars)

It's been a good year for Matt Fraser. After scoring 37 goals in his rookie season, he's picked up 33 in his sophomore season and earned himself a callup to Dallas for the remainder of the season. To cap it all off, the AHL announced today that the winger has earned Second AHL All-Star team honors.

The honor is well-earned after Fraser scored goals by the bunch in his first season and continued that pace in his second season.

"The good guys in the NHL find ways to put the puck in the whether they're a marked man or not," said Fraser at the start of the season.

In that first season, he struggled defensively though, posting 55 points but also a nasty minus-13. Looking back at his comments during media day in October, it's clear he had a mission this season:

"Obviously my plus-minus was something I'd like to improve on. To be in the NHL, you have to be a good and consistent player defensively just as much as you are offensively. I know that a lot of people take stock in that and there's no one harder on themselves than me about that."

That minus-13 has flipped to a plus-13, and Fraser hasn't stopped scoring either. He's just as lethal a threat as he was in his rookie season, and it's great to see the league recognition for that play.

Here's the release:

The Texas Stars, proud American Hockey League affiliate of the Dallas Stars, announced today that left wing Matt Fraser has been named to the 2012-13 AHL Second All-Star Team, as voted by AHL coaches, players and media in each of the league’s 30 member cities.

Fraser, 22 has been the AHL’s most prolific goal-scorer since the start of the 2011-12 season. The 22-year-old native of Red Deer, Alta., finished second in the AHL with 37 goals as a rookie last year, and is currently atop the leaderboard with 33 goals in 62 games for Texas. He leads the AHL in power play goals (17) and has improved his plus/minus rating from minus-13 last season to plus-13 this year. Fraser has notched his first NHL goal and assist while appearing in seven games for Dallas this year. Earlier this season, he was selected to represent the Western Conference at the 2013 AHL All-Star Game. Fraser went undrafted and was signed as a free agent on Nov. 17, 2010.