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AHL Hershey Bears

Bryan Helmer Named Winner of AHL's James C. Hendy Memorial Award

July 11, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hilton Head Island, SC) - The American Hockey League announced this evening during its 2024 Awards Gala at the Board of Governors' Annual Meeting that Hershey Bears vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer has been selected as the winner of the James C. Hendy Memorial Award, given to the outstanding executive in the American Hockey League, for the 2023-24 season. The award marks the second consecutive season that Helmer has received the honor, becoming the first executive in league history to win the Hendy Award in consecutive seasons. The Bears organization was also honored as the AHL's team of the year, winning the President's Award for the 2023-24 campaign.

Helmer, 51, oversees the day-to-day operations of the Bears' hockey department, working closely with the club's coaching staff as well as the Washington Capitals on all personnel decisions. Under his watch last season, the Bears posted a franchise-best .771 points percentage with a regular-season record of 53-14-0-5 - setting a new AHL record for the most wins by a club in a 72-game regular season and the second-best season in league history by points percentage - and clinched the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, presented to the league's regular-season champion. The Bears then captured the franchise's 13th Calder Cup title, posting a 14-6 record in the Calder Cup Playoffs and repeating as postseason champions for the third time in the club's illustrious history (1958-59, 2009-10, 2023-24).

Helmer is also involved in the business side of operations for the Bears. Off the ice, the club saw marked increases in all areas of its sales operations - including season tickets, group tickets, individual game tickets, and corporate sales - and the Bears finished among the top three in the league in average attendance for the 17th consecutive season, with an average attendance increase of over 500 fans per game from the prior season. Helmer also helped lead the charge on many community initiatives.

Hershey's 2024 Calder Cup win was Helmer's second as an executive after winning three championships in the AHL as a player, including captaining the Bears to back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. He was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2017 after a distinguished playing career, and he adds to his legacy in Hershey with his back-to-back Hendy Awards in 2023 and 2024 marking the eighth and ninth time a Bears executive has earned the honor, joining Llyod 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).

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.

Established in 2009, the President's Awards are given to an AHL organization and/or player for overall excellence in the past year.

The Hershey Bears are the 2024 Calder Cup champions! The Bears will take the ice to defend the club's title starting in October, but you can score Calder Cup merchandise and secure your Season Tickets for the 2024-25 season now! Single-game ticket information and a complete promotional schedule will be shared later this summer in advance of the 2024-25 season, presented by Penn State Health.

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