The James C. Hendy Memorial Award is presented annually to an executive who has made the most outstanding contribution to the American Hockey League.
The award is named after Jim Hendy, a long-time contributor to the AHL and the general manager of the Cleveland Barons until his death in 1961.
Reference: [1]
† awarded posthumously
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). When NHL teams do not have an AHL affiliate, players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL teams. Twenty-six AHL teams are located in the United States and the remaining six are in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is Scott Howson.
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
John Arlington Butterfield was a Canadian professional ice hockey administrator and the president of the American Hockey League, serving the longest tenure of any AHL executive. After his retirement as president, he served as the AHL's chairman of the board until his death and continued to oversee the creation of the annual regular-season schedules for the league. He was born in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Sheldon Kennedy is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League (NHL). Kennedy was drafted by the Red Wings in the fourth round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft while playing with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In the WHL, Kennedy helped the Broncos capture the 1989 Memorial Cup, and was named to the tournament all-star team. Kennedy represented Canada internationally at the World Junior Championships in 1988 and 1989. He helped Canada win a gold medal at the 1988 tournament. Kennedy was born in Brandon, Manitoba, but grew up in Elkhorn, Manitoba.
The Cleveland Barons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Cleveland Arena. The most successful team in AHL history, the original incarnation of the Barons played in the AHL from 1937 to 1973. In that time, they won ten division titles and nine Calder Cups, which, although the team had been defunct for over three decades, remained a record until 2009, when the Hershey Bears won their 10th Calder Cup. In 1973, they relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, where they were known as the Jacksonville Barons; they lasted only through the 1973–1974 season before folding.
The Baltimore Clippers were a minor league professional ice hockey team from in Baltimore, Maryland, playing in the Baltimore Civic Center. The Clippers were members of the American Hockey League from 1962 to 1976, and then played one season in the Southern Hockey League. The team was managed by Terry Reardon for its first fourteen seasons, and won three division titles, but were unable to capture a Calder Cup title. Baltimore began as a farm team for the New York Rangers, and helped develop Hall of Fame players including, Eddie Giacomin, Doug Harvey, Jacques Plante and Jean Ratelle. The Clippers also featured eight alumni, who are now members of the AHL Hall of Fame. The team name "Clippers", was used by two previous professional hockey teams in Baltimore, and paid homage to local history in the Baltimore Clipper, and the Port of Baltimore.
The 1961–62 AHL season was the 26th season of the American Hockey League. The league initiates the James C. Hendy Memorial Award for outstanding team or league executives. The league resumes East and West Divisions. The John D. Chick Trophy is first awarded for the West Division champions of the regular season. The F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy is awarded to East Division champions of the regular season. Eight teams played 70 games each in the schedule. The Springfield Indians finished first overall again in the regular season, and won their third consecutive Calder Cup championship.
James Cecil Valdamar Hendy was an ice hockey writer, historian, and statistician born in Barbados, British West Indies. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the "Builder" category, he is credited with developing the statistical methods for tracking professional player and team performance. His methods have been in use since the 1930s.
Bruce Landon is a Canadian former professional ice hockey executive and goaltender who was the longtime part-owner, president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League.
Roy Mlakar is the former president and CEO of the Ottawa Senators professional ice hockey club of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Scotiabank Place arena. He was also the alternate governor of the Senators. He is a former executive with the Los Angeles Kings.
The James H. Ellery Memorial Awards are presented annually to the individuals of the news media for outstanding media coverage of the American Hockey League. The awards are given in memory James Ellery, former publicity director for the AHL. The first award was handed out to one individual in 1965. From 1976 to 2013, three awards were given, one to each for newspaper, radio and television. In 2014, the AHL began awarding only one award for general media coverage.
David Andrews is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player. He is chairman of the Board of Governors and former president of the American Hockey League (AHL), the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League. He has been inducted into the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame (2005), the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame (2006), and the American Hockey League Hall of Fame (2021). In 2010, Andrews was a recipient of the Lester Patrick Award for contributions to hockey in the United States.
Mark Chipman, is a Canadian hockey executive, businessman, and lawyer. Chipman is best known as the chairman of True North Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League and Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is also the team's governor and currently a member of the National Hockey League Board of Governors' Executive Committee.
Doug Yingst is an American ice hockey executive. He was the president and general manager of the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, a dual-position he held from the 1998–99 AHL season to the 2015–16 AHL season.
Jeff Eisenberg is an American businessman and former ice hockey executive. He is currently the president of Eisenberg, Vital & Ryze Advertising of Manchester, New Hampshire.
Macgregor Kilpatrick was an American ice hockey executive. He was an original owner of the New Haven Nighthawks of the American Hockey League (AHL). He also served as senior vice president and general counsel for the AHL.
Glenn Stanford is a Canadian ice hockey executive. He is currently the Governor and Chief Operating Officer of the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL. Previously he served in that same capacity for the former St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League Stanford is a two-time winner of the James C. Hendy Memorial Award, which is awarded to the AHL Executive of the Year.
The AHL Hall of Fame is an online ice hockey museum dedicated to honoring members of the American Hockey League. Each year, a new class of inductees is enshrined during the AHL's All-Star Classic.
Richard F. Canning was an American attorney who was the president of the American Hockey League from 1957 to 1961.
James Gilmore Balmer was an American sports and entertainment executive from Pittsburgh who worked for the Harris chain of theaters. He was also the longtime general manager of the Harris-owned Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League and served as league president from 1961 to 1964.