Milwaukee, WI—The American Hockey League announced today that Milwaukee Admirals forward Chris Mueller and defenseman Ryan Ellis have been selected to play in the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic in Atlantic City, NJ on January 29th and 30th. This is the first All-Star selection for both players.

Mueller leads the Admirals in points (23) and goals (13) thus far this season. He also tops the Ads roster with six power play goals and three game winners and is fifth on the team with ten assists. The Buffalo, New York native scored a goal in four straight games from December 18 through the 31 and he established a team high four points (1g-3a) in a game against the arch rival Chicago Wolves on October 14th. On November 29, Mueller registered the Admirals only hat trick of the season in an 8-1 win over Abbotsford. He was also called up to Nashville where he played two games with the Predators.

Mueller led the Admirals in points (24g-26a-50pts) and goals and also played 15 games in two stints with the Predators (0g-3a-3pts) in 2010-11. He also ranked third in the AHL in shorthanded goals (4), and tied for the Admirals team lead in game-winning goals (5) in his third professional season. Mueller was signed as a free agent by the Predators on December 27, 2010, and made his NHL debut the following night vs. Dallas.

The 5-11, 192-pound right wing posted 104 points (42g-62a) and 141 penalty minutes in 166 games with Michigan State from 2004-08. He serving as an alternate captain during his junior and senior seasons and helped the Spartans win the 2007 NCAA National Championship.

Ellis leads Milwaukee defenseman and is tied for sixth on the team with 17 points on four goals and 13 assists, despite missing the Admirals’ last four games on recall to Nashville. His seven power-play assists are tops on the team and he is tied for second on the club in assists. Ellis registered a five game point streak from November 13 – 26, which is the longest of the season by an Admiral, and he played in his first NHL game against Detroit on December 26th.

Last season Ellis was named the OHL Defenseman of the Year for the second time in the past three seasons, capping a distinguished four-year career with the Windsor Spitfires. The Predators first round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft led all defensemen in scoring and finished tied for fourth overall in the OHL with 101 points in 58 games, scoring 24 goals and dishing out 77 assists. He became the first defenseman to score 100 points in a season since the1993-94 campaign.

The Hamilton, ON native finished his Spitfires’ career with 314 points (73g-241a), becoming just the third d-man in OHL history to record 300 points. Ellis won was also the league’s defenseman of the year in 2009 and guided Windsor to back-to-back Memorial Cup titles in 2009 and 2010. He also captained Team Canada to the silver medal in last year’s World Junior Championships, setting a new tournament record for a defenseman with 25 points and garnering WJC honors as the top blueliner.

The 2012 AHL All-Star Classic will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League competing in an internationally televised showcase from historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Of the 562 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Dan Boyle, Daniel Briere, Ryan Callahan, Brian Campbell, Zdeno Chara, Jimmy Howard, Miikka Kiprusoff, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Pekka Rinne, Bobby Ryan, Martin St. Louis, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal, P.K. Subban and Tomas Vokoun.

The Admirals return to action on Friday, January 6th at 7:00 pm when they host the Lake Erie Monsters at the Bradley Center. Fans can purchase tickets by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or logging on to milwaukeeadmirals.com. Groups of ten or more people receive at least $2 off the face value of each ticket. For more information or to purchase group tickets fans can call the Admirals office at (414) 227-0550 or visit milwaukeeadmirals.com. Don’t forget to follow the Admirals on Twitter (@mkeadmirals) and on Facebook!