Aho Named All-Star for Third Straight Year

Jan 3, 2020

The American Hockey League announced Friday that defenseman Sebastian Aho has been selected to represent the Bridgeport Islanders at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Ontario International Airport. The two-day event will take place Jan. 26-27 in Ontario, California.

Aho, 23, becomes the first Sound Tigers player to ever be selected to three All-Star Classics, which he has done in consecutive years. He is one of the top offensive defensemen in the AHL and is currently tied for 13th among all league blue-liners with 20 points (two goals, 18 assists) in 34 games. Aho leads Bridgeport in points and assists, and was recalled by the Islanders for the first time this season earlier today.

Last season, Aho led all Sound Tigers defensemen in points and assists and was tied for second on the team in scoring overall. As a rookie in 2017-18, he led all Bridgeport defensemen with nine goals and added 20 assists for 29 points in 40 games. Aho also skated in 22 NHL contests with the Islanders and collected four points (one goal, three assists), including his first NHL goal on Jan. 8, 2018 against the New Jersey Devils.

A native of Umeå, Sweden, Aho agreed to a three-year entry-level deal with the Islanders on July 5, 2017 after he was selected by the club in the fifth round (#139 overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft. He spent parts of the last four seasons with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and posted career highs in goals (10), assists (20), points (30) and games played (50) with the team last season. He added two assists in seven playoff games, and helped Skellefteå capture 2017 SHL silver medal honors.

In 152 career SHL games, Aho registered 15 goals, 45 assists and 60 points during the regular season and also skated in 49 career playoff games, helping Skellefteå win the SHL championship in 2013-14.

The 5'10, 170-pound defenseman also skated with Team Sweden in the World Junior Championships from 2012-15.