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Hey now, max Lajoie’s an All-Star
Wolves captain Max Lajoie doesn’t get many opportunities to speak French when out and about in the Chicago area.
The defenseman will have plenty of chances to do so when he participates in the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic to be held Feb. 5-6 in Laval, Quebec. Lajoie, who hails from Quebec City, Quebec, was named to the Central Division squad Wednesday, marking his first All-Star appearance.
“It feels awesome,” Lajoie said of being named an All-Star. “It’s a huge honor to represent this team.”
It is the latest accolade for Lajoie after being named the 14th captain in franchise history on Nov. 8.
“Already this year with the captaincy and being named an All-Star it’s been a huge honor for me and I’m really proud of myself,” he said.
Lajoie still has members of his family living in Quebec City – about a three-hour drive from Laval – and he spent part of his childhood in Montreal. He’s hoping family can make the trip to watch him play in the All-Star Game as well as participate in the skills competition.
“It will be cool to go back to Quebec and be able to speak French with some people,” Lajoie said. “I still speak French when I speak with my parents so I haven’t lost any of it, really. I’m excited to get to be there and I’ll probably get some poutine and some other French things.”
The AHL All-Stars will be divided into four teams, representing each of the league’s four divisions, which will then compete in the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic, a round-robin, three-on-three tournament including six games of 10 minutes each. The two teams with the best records at the end of the round-robin will then face off in a six-minute, three-on-three championship game.
Players will also be in the skills competition, though Lajoie isn’t yet certain in which activity he’ll compete.
“I don’t know what I’ll do yet,” he said. “Probably anything but Hardest Shot. I don’t think I’ve taken a slap shot in about two years.”
The Great Outdoors
On Wednesday, the Wolves took it outside. The players and coaching staff hit the ice for practice on the outdoor rink at Parkway Bank Park in Rosemont in what ended up being what coach Brock Sheahan called, “an amazing…
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