Charlotte Checkers: Bean, Nedeljkovic Heading to AHL All-Star Classic

Two Charlotte Checkers are heading to the 2020 AHL All-Stars Classic. Jake Bean and Alex Nedeljkovic will be going out west to represent possibly the hottest team in the AHL.

The American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star Classic has returned to California as the Ontario Reign will play host from January 26 and 27th, 2020, and two Charlotte Checkers have been selected to represent the Atlantic Division.

Not unlike the NHL All-Star game, this game has value to the players who go and represent their teams in skills competitions as well as a four team three on three tournament for prize money. The Checkers have been sending multiple players year after year.

This season goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and defensemen Jake Bean will both represent the Charlotte Checkers in the event. It will be the first appearance in the All-Star Classic for both players.

Bean will also be the second defencemen in the Carolina Hurricanes organization to represent their team as an All-Star the other being Jaccob Slavin, of the Carolina Hurricanes, who is replacing an injured Dougie Hamilton, another defensemen.

Bean, 21, in only his second year with the Charlotte Checkers now becomes the sixth all-star defensemen in franchise history and the second in the last four years, Trevor Carrick. He also currently sits at second on the team in points (31) and also ranking in the top 10 in AHL defensemen in both goals (7) and points.

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Alex Nedeljkovic, 24, coming off being named the AHL’s Most Outstanding Goaltender last season, is currently tied for 11th in the AHL for goals against average (2.49) and tied for third in shutouts (3).

Nedeljkovic is also the 3rd goaltender in Checkers history to be selected for the All-Star Classic along with Michael Leighton (2017) and Justin Peters (2013).

Both players played an instrumental part in the Charlotte Checkers winning the Calder Cup last season, and the teams recent resurgence after a slow start. To put it into perspective, the checkers were last place in the Atlantic Division and now, at the time of writing this, they rank fourth in the division and sixth in the eastern conference.

https://twitter.com/CheckersHockey/status/1220118946587693056?s=20

With the second half of the season just around the corner, will we have a repeat of last season where both the Carolina Hurricanes and the Charlotte Checkers make a deep playoff runs? Only time will tell, but the future of the blue line and in the crease look bright.

Question for the CC readers: What skills event should Jake Bean compete in?