The American Hockey League has selected Bakersfield Condors Vice President of Marketing and Communications Ryan Holt as the 2025-26 recipient of the Ken McKenzie Award. Recognizing the important role played by team management in building a successful franchise, the Ken McKenzie Award is presented annually to an AHL team executive who most successfully promotes his or her own club.

Having just completed his 15^th season in Condorstown, Holt has been instrumental in the growth of the franchise and its value to the Bakersfield community. Serving as the team’s marketing and communications lead, he helped guide the organization to three consecutive years of record single game attendance revenue through advertising, community involvement, and promotion of the team and players.

“We could not be prouder of Ryan and nobody is more deserving of this recognition,” Condors President Justin Fahsbender said. “He contributes in so many ways to make our organization successful and does an outstanding job representing our team, our community, and all of Condorstown.”

He is the primary media contact for the organization, maximizing local and national media exposure of players, promotions, and events. In addition, Holt has been the Voice of the Condors serving as the team’s primary play-by-play broadcaster on radio and television for 1,011 regular season games.

This season, Holt drove multiple successful initiatives including Condors Fighting Cancer Night raising money for local pediatric cancer patients, and Cares for Kids at the Holidays, connecting players with a local family to provide a memorable Christmas holiday.

The AHL’s Ken McKenzie Award, first presented in 1978, honors Ken McKenzie, the founder and long-time publisher of The Hockey News and a 1997 media honoree by the Hockey Hall of Fame as the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award winner. McKenzie was also the NHL’s first publicity director and creator of its first media guide.