Pulkkinen, Sproul named to AHL All-Rookie Team

By Michael Caples –

Less than a week after prospect Anthony Mantha was named QMJHL MVP, two Red Wings prospects much closer to NHL action have picked up tremendous honors.

Grand Rapids Griffins teammates Teemu Pulkkinen and Ryan Sproul were named to the 2013-14 American Hockey League’s All-Rookie Team today.

Pulkkinen, the Red Wings’ fourth choice in the 2010 NHL Draft, is leading the Griffins in scoring with 55 points in 67 games. The 22-year-old set a new Griffins franchise record when he scored his 25th goal of the season – he’s at 30 now – on March 7, breaking the rookie goals record previously held by Justin Abdelkader and Francis Pare.

Sproul, Detroit’s second-round pick in 2011, is second on the team in defensemen scoring, having registered 31 points in 70 games this season. His 10 goals and his 31 points are second-best in all rookie scoring in the AHL. It’s the latest in a long list of accomplishments for Sproul, who was named CHL Defenseman of the Year, OHL Defenseman of the Year and OHL First Team All-Star last year.

Sproul is the second Griffins’ defenseman to be named to the AHL All-Rookie Team (Brendan Smith, 2011-12). The other Griffins players to receive the honor were Jimmy Howard in 2005-06, Abdelkader in 2008-09, and Gustav Nyquist in 2011-12.