The American Hockey League announced today the individual team winners of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year awards, selected by their respective clubs for their outstanding contributions to the local community and charitable organizations during the 2022-23 season.
Bakersfield is represented by goaltender Calvin Pickard, who is a nominee for the first time. In his first season, Pickard became a fan favorite on and off the ice. Partnering with Thomas Graham and Graham Construction, Pickard spearheaded a Saves for Charity program whereby he would donate $3 for every save and it would be matched by Graham Construction with proceeds benefiting the Condors Community Foundation 501 (c)(3).
The program started with the Condors game on March 17 and has raised $1,716 so far with the contributions rolling over into next season. Also, through charitable jersey auctions, Pickard’s personality helped raise $6,320 for the foundation, benefiting dozens of local organizations.
From the list of finalists, representatives from IOA/American Specialty and the AHL will choose the winner of the 2022-23 Yanick Dupré Memorial Award. The AHL’s annual Man of the Year award is named after the late Yanick Dupré, who died in 1997 at the age of 24 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. Dupré, an AHL All-Star in 1995, played four seasons with the Hershey Bears and also skated in 35 National Hockey League games with the Philadelphia Flyers.
