Joel L'Esperance Named to AHL All-Star Squad

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

For the second time in his career, Joel L'Esperance is an AHL All-Star. This afternoon, the league announced the playing rosters for the four divisional All-Star teams. Texas's lone representative leads the club in points at 24 and has 15 goals among them.

The AHL has a lot of substitutions come down the pike as the event gets closer, so it should be no surprise if Texas ends up with a second representative in the game. My money would be on Jason Robertson getting in as well if a forward is needed.

Here's the release:

The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, and the American Hockey League announced today that center Joel L’Esperance has been selected to represent the Stars at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport. It is the second career selection for L’Esperance who skated in the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts.

L’Esperance, 24, is the Stars leading scorer with 24 points (15-9=24) in 31 games and is tied for seventh in the AHL this year with 15 goals. The second-year forward was one of the top goal-scorers in the month of December and an offensive catalyst since mid-November. Twelve of his 15 goals have been scored in the last 20 games which ranks second most among AHL skaters.

The 6-foot-2 Brighton, Michigan native joined Denis Gurianov last season at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic during a breakout rookie campaign. L’Esperance scored 30 goals and added 15 assists in 54 games while also logging 18 games in the NHL with the Dallas Stars. Since turning pro from Michigan Tech University, he has scored 49 goals and recorded 25 assists in 115 NHL and AHL games.