Goal-Scoring Kraken Prospect Gets AHL All-Star Nod 

Kraken prospect Jani Nyman being named Friday as a late addition to Monday’s AHL All-Star Classic is the latest sign of significant progress made by the Finnish-born winger with a penchant for lighting the lamp.

Coachella Valley Firebirds director of hockey and business operations Troy Bodie said Nyman has already demonstrated plenty of NHL-ready tools in an AHL debut season that sees him leading all rookies with 16 goals heading into Friday’s action. The 6-foot-4, 217-pound right wing takes the all-star roster spot of defenseman Cale Fleury, called up by the Kraken mid-week, on the Pacific Division side in an event being hosted by the Coachella Valley squad for the first time at Acrisure Arena.

“It’s a great honor for him,” Bodie said of Nyman, 20, drafted in the second round, 43rd overall by the Kraken in the 2022 NHL Draft. “I mean, he’s leading all rookies in goals and when you look at some of the people that have done that in the past, it’s a great list.

“It’s quite an honor to do that at a young age, and so it’s very good for him. And we’re proud of him, proud of his progress.”

AHL rookie goal leaders have included Brett Hull, Steve Thomas and Donald Audette, as well as current Ottawa Senators scoring star Josh Norris and Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka – second on their teams in goals and points, respectively.

Nyman spent a couple of seasons in the top Finnish pro league before getting into five regular season games and nine more in the playoffs with the Firebirds last spring. He scored three goals in that limited stint, enhancing his reputation as a pure goal scorer with a lethal shot.

“He’s got an NHL shot – an NHL one-timer,” said Bodie, who played 159 NHL games for Anaheim, Carolina and Toronto at the same right-wing position as Nyman. “He gets it off very well. It’s got tremendous power.”

In an interview with Bob Condor back in November, Nyman agreed his shot was his best trait but added: “I know I don’t stop moving and battling. I don’t stand still with the puck.”

Nor does he stop working.

“I want to train every day and improve myself,” he said.

Bodie agreed Nyman has worked very hard and “really embraced a power forward’s role.” He’s also combined his size and puck-shielding ability with “good hands for making plays” and an “ability to weave through traffic.”

Bodie expects a sell-out of the 10,087-seat Acrisure facility, which is in its third season of operations. Festivities begin Sunday night with a “Skills Challenge” of speed, agility, puck control, rapid-fire, hardest shot, accuracy and shooting events.

The all-star competition itself takes place Monday, with Pacific, Northern, Central and Atlantic teams squaring off in a series of 3-on-3 games followed by an East vs. West final.

AHL all-star history dates back to 1942 to raise funds for Canadian and American service efforts in World War II. Since the more modern version of the event began in 1995, more than 94% of all-star participants have gone on to play in the NHL, including Cam Atkinson, Drake Batherson, Patrice Bergeron, Jordan Binnington, Thomas Bordeleau, Jack Campbell, John Carlson, Logan Couture, Thatcher Demko, Connor Hellebuyck, Tristan Jarry, Kaapo Kahkonen, Jordan Kyrou, Jonathan Marchessault, Jacob Markstrom, Brandon Montour, William Nylander, Kyle Palmieri, Mikko Rantanen, Dylan Strome, Linus Ullmark, Vitek Vanecek and Mats Zuccarello.

Bodie said Nyman isn’t far off from joining that group.

“He’s a big man, and oftentimes at that age when you get that big, you still have to fine-tune those muscles and strength and just kind of grow into that body,” said Bodie, who played in the NHL at 6-foot-5, 226 pounds. “A lot of it is just developing the strength and the endurance to play in the NHL at that speed for longer periods of time. The speed is big as you move up in levels, so that’ll be big for him.”