HERSHEY, Pa. — Editor's Note: The above video is from June 21, 2023.
Another AHL award is now in Hershey.
The Bears vice president of hockey operations, Bryan Helmer won the James C. Hendy Memorial Award.
The award is given to the outstanding executive in the American Hockey League.
Helmer was presented with the award Thursday evening during the AHL's Awards Gala held during the Board of Governors' annual meeting in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Helmer oversees the day-to-day operations of the Bears' hockey department and build the team that won Hershey's 12th Calder Cup championship. He also works closely with the club’s coaching staff as well as the Washington Capitals on all personnel decisions.
Helmer is also involved in the Bears' business operations. He and his staff guided Hershey to an increase in average attendance of over 900 fans per game, and helped lead the charge on many community initiatives.
Helmer's Hendy Memorial Award adds to Hershey's trophy case this season with also includes the Calder Cup, the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, presented to playoff MVP Hunter Shepard, and the Richard F. Canning Trophy, presented to the Eastern Conference champion.
Helmer won his first Calder Cup as an executive in the 2022-23 season, after three wins as a player.
He was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2017.
Helmer is the sixth Hershey executive to win the Hendy Memorial Award. He joins Lloyd S. Blinco (1968-69), Arthur Whiteman (1973-74), Frank Mathers (1976-77, 1990-91), Jay Feaster (1996-97), and Doug Yingst (1999-00, 2005-06) as winners.
The James C. Hendy Memorial Award is named for the late Jim Hendy, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and AHL Hall of Fame and long-time statistician and historian for the AHL, who won four Calder Cups as general manager of the Cleveland Barons.