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AHL Hershey Bears

Copley and Fucale Win Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award

May 18, 2021 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Springfield, MA) - The American Hockey League announced today that Pheonix Copley and Zach Fucale of the Hershey Bears are the recipients of the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award for the 2020-21 season. Since 1972, the award has been presented to the goaltender(s) on the team which allows the fewest goals per game in the regular season. This honor marks the first time the Bears have won the award since 1997 (J.F. Labbe) and only the fourth time in franchise history.

The Bears allowed an average of 2.33 goals per game in 2020-21 while posting a league-best record of 24-7-2-0 (50 points, .758). Hershey finished with the fewest goals against in the AHL for the first time since 1996-97.

Copley was 10-4-1 in his 15 appearances for the Bears this season, registering two shutouts, a 2.66 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage - including a 6-0-1 mark (1.55, .943) on home ice. The seventh-year pro from North Pole, Alaska, has a career record of 100-60-22 with a 2.55 GAA, a .911 save percentage and 13 shutouts in 191 career AHL games with Hershey and Chicago. His 100th AHL victory came in his final start of the year on May 8 as he stopped 34 shots to earn a 3-0 shutout win over Lehigh Valley.

Fucale made 11 appearances for the Bears and went 9-2-0 while leading the AHL with a 1.80 goals-against average and ranking second with a .932 save percentage. A native of Laval, Quebec, Fucale has played 80 games in the AHL over six professional seasons with Hershey, Syracuse, Chicago, Laval and St. John's, going 37-34-4 with a 2.90 GAA, a .904 save percentage and three shutouts.

To qualify for the award in 2020-21, a goaltender must have appeared in at least one-third of his team's games.

The Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award, which was first awarded in 1948 to the goaltender with the best goals-against average in the AHL, is named for Hockey Hall of Famer Harry "Hap" Holmes, a prominent figure in early professional hockey and an outstanding goaltender of his time. Previous winners of the award from Hershey include Labbe, Andre Gill (1966-67), and Bobby Perreault (1958-59). Notable winners over the years include Johnny Bower (1957, '58), Gerry Cheevers (1965), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Olaf Kolzig (1994), Jean-Sebastien Giguere (1998), Martin Biron (1999), Cory Schneider (2009), and Matt Murray (2015).

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