Minnesota Wild goalie prospect Kaapo Kahkonen was one of three players from Iowa, the NHL team's American Hockey League affiliate, to be named an AHL First Team All-Star on Wednesday.
Kahkonen, a fourth-round pick (No. 109) in the 2014 NHL Draft, led AHL goalies with 25 wins and seven shutouts in 34 games. He was fourth with a .927 save percentage and 2.07 goals-against average.
The 23-year-old made his NHL debut Nov. 26 and was 3-1-1 with a .913 save percentage in five games.
"You get to know the guys a little bit and then once you play a couple games, too, they know how you play and you maybe start to gain that trust from your teammates," Kahkonen told the Star Tribune while in the NHL. "It helps a lot and makes you feel like you can be yourself."
Also on the First Team are Iowa teammates right wing Sam Anas and defenseman Brennan Menell; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman prospect Jake Bean (Charlotte); Ottawa Senators center prospect Josh Norris (Belleville); and Vancouver Canucks left wing prospect Reid Boucher (Utica).
Anas, a 26-year-old forward in his fourth AHL season, led the league with 70 points (20 goals, 50 assists). He can become an unrestricted free agent after the NHL season.
"He certainly did the work," Iowa coach Tim Army told The Hockey News. "When a player has the type of year he had, there's always a commitment and a focus. That was very evident as soon as he came into camp."
Menell, in his third AHL season, was second among defensemen with 47 points (five goals, 42 assists) in 57 games. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut Dec. 10, and in five games with the Wild had four shots on goal and a plus-1 rating.
"He's got an offensive game to him," Minnesota defenseman Jonas Brodin told Twincities.com in December. "He looks like [Minnesota defneseman Jared Spurgeon] when he's on the ice in that he's a good puck-mover and he's a good passer. He's going to be a great player."
Bean, the No. 13 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, led AHL defensemen with 48 points (10 goals, 38 assists) in 59 games.
"He's a guy who works really, really hard when no one is watching," Charlotte coach Ryan Warsofsky told the team's website. "On days off he's coming in and working. He's one of the first guys on the ice and one of the last guys off. He works extremely hard at his craft."
Norris led AHL rookies with 31 goals and 61 points. The 21-year-old forward was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team on Tuesday.
"For me, what separates him from a lot of players I've coached over the years is just his work ethic and his detail to want to get better," Belleville coach Troy Mann told The Athletic. "And I think that was something that came to the forefront pretty early in the season."
Norris' teammate, right wing prospect Drake Batherson, was named to the Second All-Star Team. The 22-year-old, selected by the Senators in the fourth round (No. 121) of the 2017 NHL Draft, was second on Belleville with 54 points (16 goals, 38 assists) in 44 games. He scored 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 23 games with the Senators.
Boucher, a 26-year-old forward in his ninth AHL season, was second in the AHL with 34 goals and 67 points. He's played 133 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators and Canucks, most recently with Vancouver in 2018-19.
His Utica teammate, defenseman prospect Brogan Rafferty, was named to the Second All-Star Team. A free agent signed by the Canucks on April 1, 2019, the 24-year-old led AHL rookie defensemen with 45 points (seven goals, 38 assists) in 57 games.
"He's done a great job," Utica coach Trent Cull told the Utica Observer-Dispatch. "He's very cognizant of things. If something doesn't go well, he knows. He's a pleasure to coach. I think the best thing for him is to just keep playing."
Another Iowa player, left wing Gerald Mayhew, was named to the Second All-Star Team. The 27-year-old forward led the AHL with 39 goals, the most in the league since Norfolk's Cory Conacher scored 39 in 2011-12.
Also making the Second All-Star Team were Nashville Predators goalie prospect Connor Ingram (Milwaukee), Colorado Avalanche defenseman prospect Jacob MacDonald (Colorado), and Tampa Bay Lightning center prospect Alex Barre-Boulet (Syracuse).
The AHL season was paused March 12, the same day the NHL paused its season, and was cancelled May 11. There is no timetable for the NHL season to resume.
