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Matt Keith Named Abbotsford Heat's Man of the Year

March 28, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


The Abbotsford Heat are proud to announce that Matt Keith has been named the team's winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley during the 2010-11 season.

Matt Keith is dedicated to supporting young athletes in our communities. As a player who grew up in nearby Aldergrove, he is particularly passionate about the minor hockey players in Aldergrove and encouraging them to succeed in their sport.

Matt has participated in numerous Aldergrove Minor Hockey practices to assist the coaches and work with the players.

Recently, a tragedy struck the close knit community of Aldergrove as a 12-year old minor hockey player was killed in a car accident. Matt made sure he attended the memorial tournament, providing words of comfort to the players and families at the event.

Matt has visited area elementary schools as part of the Abbotsford Heat's Hawkey's Hot Readers program. Matt attends classrooms and reads a few books to students, answers any questions they have about hockey and the team and also speaks about the importance of literacy in all walks of life. This program and Matt Keith's involvement, has encouraged many students that we are told had lost their desire to read.

Matt brought goodwill and an introduction of hockey to Japanese exchange students at a local high school, signing autographs, answering questions and handing out hockey memorabilia for them to bring back home.

Matt is very dedicated and is always looking for ways to support the communities that did such a great job of supporting him on his way from minor hockey to the professional ranks of the AHL.

Matt is now one of 30 finalists for the AHL's 2010-11 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the American Hockey League in the coming weeks.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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