The stars of the American Hockey League descend upon the city tomorrow for the Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic, a two-day celebration of the game highlighted by Tuesday night's skills competition and Wednesday night's Team Canada versus Team PlanetUSA all-star game, both at MTS Centre.

Winnipeg and the host Manitoba Moose were awarded the 2006 mid-season classic two years ago, before MTS Centre even opened, at the all-star game in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Since then, the franchise has been fine-tuning all the details in its new home, hoping to raise the bar on some recent all-star successes.

"We were in Manchester (N.H.) last year to get a good feel for the all-star game, to understand all the details," said True North vice-president, sales, Norva Riddell. "We started working hard on this event almost a year ago, pretty much right after the playoffs were over in the spring." One of the big positives for this week's festivities will be the inclusion of several home-grown stars, both from the Moose and from the province.

Moose veteran Jimmy Roy, for instance, was named captain of Team Canada. The native of nearby Sioux Lookout, Ont., has played for the team since 1997 and has become the on-ice face of the franchise.

Moose netminder Wade Flaherty, who leads the AHL in shutouts with six, has been named Team Canada's starting goalie. Defenceman Sven Butenschon, who has scored 13 goals already this season, will play for Team PlanetUSA because he was born in Germany, though he grew up in Winnipeg and Oakbank.

Houston Aeros right-winger Kirby Law, second in AHL scoring this season, has also been named to Team Canada's starting lineup. It's the second all-star appearance for the McCreary, Man., native.

And Winkler's Eric Fehr, who's having a fine rookie-pro season with 20 goals for the Hershey Bears, has also been named to the starting lineup.

The other starting forward was slated to be another Manitoban, Winkler's Dustin Penner of the Portland Pirates, but Penner was recalled to Anaheim on Thursday and isn't likely to be sent back in time to participate in the all-star game. The league is expected to announce his replacement tomorrow.

As well, fans may recognize 25-year-old Junior Lessard of the Iowa Stars, who played in the MJHL for the Portage Terriers.

Among the other AHL stars to be showcased in Winnipeg are Houston defenceman Curtis Murphy, former Team Canada junior gold-medalist Braydon Coburn of the Chicago Wolves, the AHL's all-time top-scoring defenceman John Slaney of the Philadelphia Phantoms, Houston rookie Patrick O'Sullivan, Grand Rapids star forward Jiri Hudler and AHL leading scorer Erik Westrum of Houston.

Team Canada will be coached by John Stevens and his Philadelphia Phantoms assistants Craig Berube and Kjell Samuelsson by virtue of their Calder Cup championship last spring. Since Wilkes-Barre had the best AHL record just before Christmas, the coaching duties for Team PlanetUSA have been earned by new baby Penguins head coach Joe Mullen and his assistant Al Sims.

Tuesday, the sides will participate in the skills competition and fans at MTS Centre will get a great feel for the evening when the stars are in a more relaxed mode, as much of the glass on the sides of the rink will be removed.

The players will engage in six events, puck-control relay, fastest skater, rapid fire, hardest shot, accuracy shooting, pass and score, and the breakaway relay.

Wednesday, the stars will face off in the 12th annual AHL all-star game and the league is pretty vocal about the fact that since 1995, 92 per cent of players who have played in the game have gone on to compete in the NHL.

Also Wednesday, the league will continue to celebrate its 70th season with a pair of special attractions at the annual All-Star Classic Luncheon at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. The AHL is honouring former Winnipeg Jets defenceman Serge Savard this year as its special guest with ties to the league. In addition to his Hall of Fame career that included eight Stanley Cups as a player and two more as GM of the Montreal Canadiens, Savard finished his rookie pro season with the AHL's Quebec Aces.

The league has also named a pair of honourary captains for the action this week, tagging former Habs great and Jets GM John Ferguson as honourary captain of Team PlanetUSA, while Winnipegger and former Stanley Cup and Calder Cup winner Ab McDonald will serve in the same role for Team Canada.

The skills competition and all-star game will be seen live on Sportsnet in Canada and on a collection of Fox Sports and Comcast networks in the U.S.

Tickets are still available in the Home of Hockey II package, which offers an upper-bowl seat to the skills on Tuesday and the all-star game Wednesday, plus a lower-bowl ticket to any remaining regular-season Moose game for just $30.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca

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