It's sure tough being Elias Pettersson these days ... unless you're Elias Pettersson. While the senior version is potentially looking at being traded as a result of his fallout with teammate J.T. Miller, his junior namesake has received a special honour.
As per the Abbotsford Canucks' official site, Pettersson has been selected to represent the Pacific Division as a member of its 2025 AHL All-Star Roster. To give you some idea of how rare this is from a Canucks' perspective, he will be just the third player in franchise history to play in an AHL All-Star Game and the first ever as a rookie. (He is also the youngest).
This of course alludes to the type of campaign the 20-year-old is having in the AHL. He is tied-third on the Canucks with 11 assists (plus one goal), while also second with both a +5 rating and 32 penalty minutes.
Although Pettersson is termed as a rookie, he actually made his AHL debut with the Canucks during last season. He went on to produce two points, a +4 rating and six penalty minutes in eight appearances, while also playing one game in the Calder Cup playoffs.
A tremendous honour for both player and team
As you'd expect, Abbotsford Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson is delighted for the Sweden native. As per the team's site, he said: "Elias has had a very good start to his pro career in North America. This is a great honour for him to be recognized by the other coaches in our division."
Pettersson was selected by the Canucks in the third round of the 2022 NHL entry draft with the 80th overall pick, and expectations were high. His main attributes focused on being a strong and physical presence, with the potential to be a top-tier shutdown blue liner.
The left-shot D-man has already experienced success at the international level with his country, including winning a Gold Medal at the 2021-22 Under-18 World Championship. While he's far from the finished product, all the indicators are there that he will eventually also be successful when he makes it to the NHL.
For those interested, this year's AHL All-Star Classic will be taking place at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California, on Feb. 2 and 3. The extravaganza will include a tournament between the teams, a skills competition, and the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony.