Abbotsford (Abbotford Canucks) – The American Hockey League announced that Abbotsford Canucks defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev has been selected to represent the Pacific Division as a member of its 2026 AHL All-Star Classic roster, presented by BMO. Kudryavtsev is set to become the fourth player and second defenceman in franchise history to participate in an AHL All-Star game.
The 2026 classic is in Palm Desert, California.
Kudryavtsev, 21, currently ranks tied for third on the team in points (13) this season while leading Canucks defencemen with 12 assists. The second-year pro has recorded 39 points (six goals, 33 assists) in his first 93 AHL regular season games, while leading Canucks defencemen in games played since joining the team in the 2024-25 campaign.
The Yaroslavl, Russia native had an impressive rookie season in 2024-25, leading Abbotsford in plus-minus rating in both the regular season (+18) and playoffs (+18) on the way to helping the club capture its first ever Calder Cup Championship. Kudryavtsev also skated in two regular season games with the Vancouver Canucks, making his NHL debut at home against the San Jose Sharks on April 14, 2025. A former seventh-round pick (208th overall) for Vancouver in 2022, he became the seventh player to make his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks after recall from Abbotsford.
“Kirill hit the ground running last year and his development came along quicker than anticipated,” said Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson. “He is a complete professional and he is extremely coachable. It is not a surprise to anyone in our organization that he is being recognized with an All-Star selection.”
Prior to joining Abbotsford, Kudryavtsev spent three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds, where he had current Abbotsford Canucks assistant coach Jordan Smith as an associate coach during his first year of junior hockey in 2021-22. He also captured a Hlinka-Gretzky Cup Gold Medal in 2022 while representing Russia in the coveted U-18 international tournament.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Tuesday, Feb. 10 (8 ET/7 CT) will pit the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events. In the 2026 AHL All-Star Challenge on Wednesday, Feb. 11 (8 ET/7 CT), the four teams will participate in a 3-on-3, round-robin tournament featuring six games of eight minutes each. The two teams with the best records at the end of the round-robin will face off for the championship in a final eight-minute, 3-on-3 game.
For ticket information, fans can visit icehogs.com/asc26.
