Norris and Batherson among AHL’s top players for 2019/20

A pair of Belleville Senators forwards have been named among the American Hockey League’s best players from the 2019/20 season.

Centre Josh Norris has earned a nod to the AHL’s First All Star Team, with winger Drake Batherson being named to the Second All Star Team, as voted by fellow players, coaches and media in each of the league’s 31 member cities.

Norris was also named to the All Rookie Team this week after leading all first-year players with 61 points in 56 games, which also put him in a tie for fourth in the league overall.

An interesting note is that Norris’ father Dwayne was named an AHL First Team All Star as well, in 1994/95.

Batherson finished sixth overall in points, despite playing just 44 games in the AHL this season, while also playing 23 NHL games with Ottawa, chipping in three goals and seven assists.

It’s the second straight year that Batherson has been named one of the league’s top players.

The AHL will continue to hand out its season awards through the rest of the week.

2019/20 AHL First Team All Stars

G – Kaapo Kahkonen, Iowa Wild (34gp, 25-6-3, 2.07gaa, .927sv%, 7so)
D – Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers (59gp, 10+38=48pts., 3 PPG, 18 PPA)
D – Brennan Menell, Iowa Wild (57gp, 5+42=47pts., +8, 3 PPG, 23 PPA)
LW – Reid Boucher, Utica Comets (53gp, 34+33=67pts., +8, 9 PPG, 7 GWG)
C – Josh Norris, Belleville Senators (56gp, 31+30=61pts., +9, 10 PPG, 4 GWG)
RW – Sam Anas, Iowa Wild (63gp, 20+50=70pts., 7 PPG, 35 PPA)

2019/20 AHL Second Team All Stars

G – Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals (33gp, 21-5-5, 1.92gaa, .933sv%, 2so)
D – Jacob MacDonald, Colorado Eagles (56gp, 16+26=42pts., +7, 7 PPG, 14 PPA)
D – Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets (57gp, 7+38=45pts., +17, 3 PPG, 17 PPA)
LW – Gerry Mayhew, Iowa Wild (49gp, 39+22=61pts., +16, 13 PPG, 10 GWG)
C – Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch (60gp, 27+29=56pts., +2, 9 PPG, 3 GWG)
RW – Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators (44gp, 16+38=54pts., +14, 3 PPG, 2 GWG)