East Holds Off West 18-15 to Win 2026 AHL Skills Competition

The Eastern Conference held off a late charge to beat the Western Conference 18-15 in the AHL All‑Star Skills Competition at the BMO Center, turning a dominant early performance into a narrow overall victory in front of a packed Rockford crowd. The skills night doubled as a live shop window for NHL prospects and a community celebration for the host city.

The East sprinted out of the gate, winning the first four events to build an early edge as large as 8-1. That cushion proved decisive after the West captured the final three events and staged a spirited comeback. “Tucson Roadrunners rookie defenseman Dmitri Simashev helped fuel a Western Conference comeback from an early seven-goal deficit … but the Eastern Conference ultimately held on for an 18‑15 victory,” a summary line from Tucson’s coverage noted, encapsulating the arc of the competition.

Speed and shot power provided the night’s highlights. Rochester’s Konsta Helenius clocked the CCM Fastest Skater winner’s lap in 13.770 seconds, edging Providence defenseman Frederic Brunet (13.857) and the West’s Justin Robidas (14.039). Arthur Kaliyev unleashed the hardest shot of the night at 104.0 mph, with Bradly Nadeau close behind at 103.0 mph. Dmitri Simashev drew attention across multiple events; his first hardest-shot attempt failed to register on the radar, but his second was recorded at 93.9 mph, and he logged a 14.373-second lap in the Fastest Skater head-to-head.

Accuracy and goaltending also stole moments. Jagger Firkus went a perfect 4‑for‑4 in the accuracy shooting event, becoming the sixth player in AHL history to do so. San Diego Gulls’ Calle Clang was singled out as the event’s top goalie, stopping 16 of 18 shots. Goalie-round notes showed varied results across skaters and rounds, with some netminders surrendering multiple goals in certain rounds while others posted shutout efforts.

Event-level drama included the Fortune Tires Rapid Fire and Pass & Score segments, where Kevin Korchinski and Tanner Laczynski combined for three goals on 10 Rapid Fire attempts while Brett Seney and Milwaukee’s Ryan Ufko managed just one on 10. The final Upper Deck Breakaway Relay went to the West 6-5, but it proved too little, too late.

Beyond the ice, Rockford leaned into the spectacle with a block party outside the arena featuring campfires, Jenga and cornhole that generated a lively fan atmosphere. “Just going out here and celebrating the game of hockey with other fans from different teams; it makes it all special,” said fan Chris Luft.

For AHL watchers and NHL talent scouts, the Skills Competition reinforced the AHL’s role as a development crucible where measurable traits translate into draft and roster conversations. With All‑Star Game action and more prospect evaluation to follow, players like Helenius, Firkus, Kaliyev and Simashev gave teams and fans reason to keep a close eye on their next pro steps.