While this may not be the golden era of Canisius sports as a whole, individual Griffin athletes are taking accelerated routes to professional stardom.

Former Griffin forward Cory Conacher, plying his trade with Norfolk of the American Hockey League (AHL), has been selected as a starter in the 2012 AHL All-Star Game three weeks after the announcement that he’d made the squad. Over in professional box lacrosse, the Colorado Mammoth’s Adam Jones, in his first year out of Canisius, has paired with megastar John Grant Jr. to lead the Western Conference team to a surprise 3-0 start.

Conacher, who holds 12 school records at Canisius, was selected to take the first shift in the mid-season spectacle on Jan. 30 after a fan vote sponsored by Reebok. Did Griffin alums around the world stuff the ballot box, or has Conacher already cemented himself as a fan-favorite? A rising talent in the Tampa Bay Lightning farm system, the diminutive attacker paces the NHL’s highest-level minor league in goals (24) and has notched over a point-per-game—46 points in 42 contests. It’s only a matter of time before he’s a staple on one of the parent club’s top two scoring lines. Watch your back, Martin St. Louis—you have a successor.

While Conacher is a more recognized name in the Buffalo sports scene, Jones has adapted so quickly to the National Lacrosse League that he’s already the Mammoth’s second-most feared forward. Unanimously selected as the league’s Rookie of the Week for NLL Week 3, Jones’ excellence has topped the exploits of first overall pick Kevin Crowley of Philadelphia. The former Canisius star been remarkably efficient through three games, finishing on 11 of his 25 shots on goal. Jones, joined by fellow Mammoth teammate and Canisius alum Dan Coates, will travel back to Buffalo for a March 3 contest against the Buffalo Bandits at the First Niagara Center.

Canisius athletes are taking over the world.