Maine Hockey Journal

McKenna becomes third Pirate named to AHL All-Star roster

Portland Pirates regular season contest against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine on 1/16/2016. (PHOTO: Michael McSweeney/Portland Pirates)

Portland Pirates regular season contest against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine on 1/16/2016. (PHOTO: Michael McSweeney/Portland Pirates)

Make it three.

Mike McKenna has been named to the Atlantic Division All-Star roster for the upcoming American Hockey League All-Star Classic that will be held January 31 and February 1 in Syracuse, New York.

The AHL made the announcement Thursday afternoon that McKenna will replace Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ goaltender Matt Murray, who will be unavailable for the event.

(PHOTO: Michael Mcsweeney/Portland Pirates)

(PHOTO: Michael Mcsweeney – Portland Pirates)

The St. Louis, Missouri native is the third Pirates player to be named to the All-Star Classic, joining defensemen Cameron Gaunce and center Rob Schremp.

“Rob, Cameron, and Mike have been leaders both on the ice and in our community,” said Portland Pirates COO Brad Church in a written statement. “They will represent the Pirates and the Florida Panthers very well, and I am excited to see them compete with the AHL’s best players in Syracuse.”

It will be the first time since the 2010 AHL All-Star Classic in Portland that three players from the Pirates will take part in the All-Star Classic weekend. That year, forwards Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis, and defenseman Mike Weber represented the Pirates in the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

“Having an All-Star at all three positions is a great testament to our overall team’s performance in the first half and a bright reflection of the Panther’s commitment to their player development plan and continuing organizational success for many years to come,” Church said.

It will be McKenna’s first AHL All-Star Classic appearance. He’s appeared in 30 games for Portland this season, posting a 20-8-1 record with a 2.27 GAA and .918 save percentage with one shutout. McKenna set a new franchise record for consecutive by a goaltender, winning his 12th straight game on Jan. 16, 2016. The record was previously held by Jhonas Enroth as he won 11 straight games from Jan. 26-Feb. 24, 2010 during the Buffalo Sabres affiliation.

McKenna is three wins away from tying Enroth’s 74 career wins with the Pirates.

“I am first and foremost very proud of him,” said Portland Pirates Head Coach Scott Allen. “Just like with our two other guys, I am very happy for not only them but their families, it’s a huge honor. Mike has played well for us lately, and this opportunity is well deserved.”

McKenna, who is in his 11th professional season, was originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2002. He’s appeared in 362 career American Hockey League games, playing the last two seasons with Pirates, posting a 179-138-21 record with a 2.69 GAA and .913 save percentage and 23 shutouts.

McKenna, who signed a two-year free agent contract with the Florida Panthers, has made 22 career appearances in the NHL with Tampa Bay, New Jersey, Columbus, and Arizona.

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