Mark Jankowski lone Stockton Heat representative at 2017 AHL All-Star Classic

We don’t yet know who will be representing the Flames at the NHL All-Star Game at the end of January, but we know who will in the AHL.

Mark Jankowski is the lone member of the Stockton Heat who will be an AHL All-Star this season. They’re one of 13 of the 30 AHL teams to have just one representative.

Jankowski, a rookie, leads the Heat with 23 points in 26 games: eight goals and 15 assists. (Technically, Linden Vey leads with 23 points in 24 games, but semantics; his ,.88 points per game is second on the Heat.) He has 57 shots on net through the season, good for fifth on the team.

As far as rookies go, he’s seventh in the entire AHL in scoring; five of the six rookies ahead of him in scoring have also been named All-Stars.

Jankowski also notably made his NHL debut earlier this season, taking the ice for 13 shifts and playing 10:18 against the New York Islanders on Nov. 28.

It’s a little disappointing for the Heat to have just one representative, especially considering how not too long ago they were leading the Pacific Division. They have, however, fallen since then to fourth with a .621 points percentage, so hopefully they’ll be able to pick it back up in the second half of the season.

Still, it’s a bit better than last season, when Derek Grant – who was then 25 years old and pretty much not really considered a prospect anymore – was the Heat’s lone representative (although, in fairness, his season with Stockton last year was incredible and it’s nice to see him sticking in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres this year). 

Jankowski, 22, is at least still an actual prospect – and is showing some promise in his first professional year, however long it took him to reach this point. Here’s to continued growth and a bright future.