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David Van der Gulik Named Abbotsford Heat's 2009-10 American

March 25, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Heat News Release


The Abbotsford Heat are proud to announce that David Van der Gulik has been named the team's winner of the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Abbotsford community during the 2009-10 season.

In our inaugural season in Abbotsford British Columbia we have home town boy David Van der Gulik who is going above and beyond to make an impact to his home town.

He attended the first elementary school visit for Hawkey's Hot Readers, visiting Jackson elementary in Abbotsford. Our team also visited two children's wards of hospitals at Christmas time and although the players had the option to attend or not David was present at the Abbotsford Hospital. He spent time visiting with special needs classes that come to practice posing for pictures and meeting the students. Van der Gulik helped stock shelves at the local food bank and was involved in the Athletes in Action session that was held at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sport Center.

The main thing that made Van der Gulik the obvious choice for our team is the number of things he has taken on himself to initiate throughout his home community. Besides providing donation items to several raffles he arranged schools visits to his old schools, helped coach minor hockey practice in his old rink and made motivational speeches to his church group.

In recognition of his efforts, Van der Gulik will be presented with an etched crystal trophy during an on-ice presentation prior to an upcoming Heat home game.

Van der Gulik is now one of 29 finalists for the AHL's 2009-10 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall 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.



American Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2010


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