With a thoroughly convincing 9-3 home ice win Wednesday night over Tulsa, Colorado Head Coach Chris Stewart has secured the honor of coaching the Northern Conference All-Star team for the second straight year. The Eagles are now guaranteed to have the highest winning percentage after completion of all games this Friday, December the 23rd, and Stewart will lead the Northern All-Stars on January 18th in Hidalgo, TX.
Stewart was behind the bench at the 2005 CHL All-Star Game in Laredo, seeing the Northern Conference stop the Southern Conference 14-13 in a shootout. The clinching game was a no doubter, with Colorado leading 5-0 after the first period and 9-0 midway through the second before the Oilers responded with three goals and managed to prevent the Eagles from reaching double digits. Garrett Larson, Ryan Tobler, Fraser Filipic and Sean Robertson each had three points, while Greg Pankewicz had his 16th goal and added three assists.
Elsewhere Wednesday, Miguel Beaudry had an impressive beginning with Austin, stopping 40 shots in Fort Worth to give the Ice Bats a 2-1 win in his first game with the club, spoiling the coaching debut of the Brahmas Guy Larose. John McNabb and Aaron Schneekloth handled the scoring for Austin, with Matt Reynolds responding for Fort Worth.
In Odessa, the Jackalopes kept Coach Don McKee in contention to coach the Southern Conference All-Stars with a 2-1 win over the Lubbock Cotton Kings. Sebastien Thinel had both goals for the Jacks (giving him 16 on the year), with Stacey Bauman replying for Lubbock. McKee will need help from Austin, playing Friday in Laredo, to head to the All-Star Game, with the Jackalopes needing to earn at least one more point (they play Friday in Lubbock) than Laredo does. A Bucks win would secure the Southern All-Star coaching honor for Terry Ruskowski, regardless of the Odessa result.