Simashev Shines at AHL All-Star Skills Competition

Rockford, IL – Tucson Roadrunners rookie defenseman Dmitri Simashev helped fuel a Western Conference comeback from an early seven-goal deficit at the 2026 AHL All-Star Skills Competition, but the Eastern Conference ultimately held on for an 18-15 victory Tuesday at the BMO Center.

Simashev showcased his skill set in three of the seven events, competing in the CCM Fastest Skater, CCM Hardest Shot and Upper Deck Breakaway Relay.

The East won the first four events of the night to build an 8-1 advantage before the West responded by capturing the final three events to set up a potential dramatic comeback.

Simashev highlighted his versatility throughout the night, displaying his speed in the Fastest Skater, his strength in the Hardest Shot and punctuating his evening with a goal in the Breakaway Relay. On his lone breakaway attempt, the defenseman opted for an old-school slap shot from between the circles to help keep the West within reach.

However, Toronto Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov stood tall in the final round of the Breakaway Relay to preserve the Eastern Conference’s three-point victory.

CCM FASTEST SKATER (EVENT 2)

After the East won the opening event, the Inglasco Puck Control Relay, 3-1, Simashev made his All-Star Skills Competition debut in the Fastest Skater.

Matched up against Providence Bruins defenseman Frederic Brunet, Simashev turned in a blazing lap around the rink in 14.373 seconds. Brunet narrowly edged him with a time of 13.857 to give the East the head-to-head win.

Simashev posted the second-fastest lap among Western Conference skaters, trailing only Chicago Wolves forward Justin Robidas, who recorded the conference’s fastest time at 14.039 seconds.

The East claimed two more points from the event to extend its overall lead to 5-1. Rochester Americans forward Konsta Helenius (East) had the fastest lap of the event with a time of 13.770.

CCM HARDEST SHOT (EVENT 4)

With the East holding a 6-1 lead after winning the third event, Fortune Tires Rapid Fire, Simashev made his second appearance of the night in the Hardest Shot competition.

Simashev’s first attempt came in so hard it failed to register on the radar gun. He followed it up by uncorking a 93.9 mph slap shot to help the West keep pace, as the team with the higher average speed earned one goal from the event.

The effort wasn’t enough to swing the event, as the East claimed its fourth straight win to extend the overall lead to 8-1. Belleville Senators forward Arthur Kaliyev (East) recorded the hardest shot of the competition at 104.0 mph.

Simashev competed alongside fellow West teammates Tim Washe of the San Diego Gulls, Dominik Shine of the Grand Rapids Griffins and Bradley Nadeau of the Chicago Wolves, who recorded the West’s hardest shot at 103.0 mph.

UPPER DECK BREAKAWAY RELAY (EVENT 7)

The Western Conference answered with back-to-back wins in Events 5 and 6 – the Hard Rock Casino Rockford Accuracy Shooting and Hard Rock Casino Rockford Pass and Score – to cut the deficit to 13-9 and pull within striking distance heading into the seventh and final event of the night, the Upper Deck Breakaway Relay.

Simashev joined West teammates Shine, Nadeau, Cam Lund (San Jose Barracuda) and Jagger Firkus (Coachella Valley Firebirds) in the first of the four-round team shootout. The five skaters each went one-on-one against Akhtyamov.

Simashev capitalized on his lone attempt in true defenseman fashion, wiring a slap shot from the slot to chip away at the East’s lead.

UP NEXT

Simashev will represent the Pacific Division in the AHL All-Star Classic Challenge, presented by BMO, on Wednesday at the BMO Center. The event kicks off at 6:00 p.m. CST (5 p.m. AZT) and features a three-on-three tournament format, where the Pacific All-Stars will compete against the Atlantic, Central and North Division All-Stars. The top two teams will advance to the finals to battle for the All-Star Classic crown. The game can be streamed on AHLTV on FloHockey and will be live on national television on the NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada.