Lehigh Valley's Phil Varone Voted Winner of 2017-18 Les Cunningham Award
April 13, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League announced today that forward Phil Varone of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms has been voted the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL's most valuable player for the 2017-18 season.
The award is voted on by coaches, players and members of the media in each of the league's 30 cities.
Varone enters the final weekend of the regular season tied for the league scoring lead with 70 points in 73 games played for the Atlantic Division champion Phantoms, establishing career highs in goals (23), assists (47) and points. The seventh-year pro has also scored seven power-play goals and five game-winners, and he has gone back-to-back games without a point only three times all season. Varone's 15 multiple-point efforts include a four-assist game at Binghamton on Nov. 4, and his first career hat trick at Utica on Feb. 21. Lehigh Valley is 37-7-3-1 this season in games when Varone records a point, and 16-1-2-1 when he scores a goal.
A 27-year-old native of Vaughan, Ont., Varone has totaled 112 goals and 256 assists for 368 points in 465 games over his seven seasons with Lehigh Valley, Binghamton and Rochester. Originally a fifth-round draft pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2009, Varone appeared in 50 National Hockey League games with Buffalo and Ottawa (five goals, five assists) before signing as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers on July 1, 2017.
The AHL's most valuable player award honors the late Les Cunningham, a member of the AHL Hall of Fame who was a five-time league All-Star and three-time Calder Cup champion with the Cleveland Barons. Previous winners of the award include Carl Liscombe (1948, '49), Johnny Bower (1956, '57, '58), Fred Glover (1960, '62, '64), Mike Nykoluk (1967), Gilles Villemure (1969, '70), Doug Gibson (1975, '77), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Paul Gardner (1985, '86), Tim Tookey (1987), Jody Gage (1988), John Anderson (1992), Don Biggs (1993), Derek Armstrong (2001), Jason Spezza (2005), Darren Haydar (2007), Keith Aucoin (2010), Tyler Johnson (2013), Travis Morin (2014), Brian O'Neill (2015), Chris Bourque (2016) and Kenny Agostino (2017).
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. More than 87 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2017-18 regular season ends Sunday, and then 16 clubs will continue to vie for the league's coveted championship trophy when the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs get underway next week.
American Hockey League Stories from April 13, 2018
- Wolves Win Back-To-Back Division Titles - Chicago Wolves
- Cleveland Sneaks by Moose - Manitoba Moose
- Iowa Shuts out Milwaukee 3-0 - Iowa Wild
- Amerks Overcome Three-Goal Deficit to Defeat B-Sens in Home Finale - Rochester Americans
- Chicago Wolves Open Calder Cup Playoffs against Rockford - Chicago Wolves
- Bernier, Bailey each score in Friday's setback to Lehigh Valley - Bridgeport Islanders
- Griffins to Face Moose in Central Division Semifinals - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Martel Nets 2 Goals as Lehigh Valley Downs Bridgeport 5-2 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Czarnik Hits Milestone in P-Bruins 5-3 Loss to Charlotte - Providence Bruins
- Schneider Lifts Wolf Pack to OT Victory - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Amerks Stage Comeback to Beat Senators - Belleville Senators
- Devils Fall to Wolf Pack in OT, 2-1 - Binghamton Devils
- Checkers Beat Bruins for Big 5-3 Win - Charlotte Checkers
- Sprong Sets Franchise Record in Penguins' 3-2 Win - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Monsters Shock Moose in Home Finale, 3-1 - Cleveland Monsters
- Crunch Clinch Galaxy Cup with OT Win over Comets - Utica Comets
- Hunt Tallies Two More Points, But Penguins Prevail - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Crunch Top Comets in Overtime, 2-1 - Syracuse Crunch
- Syracuse Crunch Announce Roster Moves - Syracuse Crunch
- Game #67 Preview: Tucson vs. San Diego - Tucson Roadrunners
- Roadrunners Add Three on Amateur Tryouts - Tucson Roadrunners
- Phil Varone Voted AHL MVP for 2017-18 Season - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Lehigh Valley's Phil Varone Voted Winner of 2017-18 Les Cunningham Award - AHL
- Rampage Goaltender Spencer Martin Recalled to Colorado Avalanche During Stanley Cup Playoffs - San Antonio Rampage
- Roadrunners Night out at the HUB Set for Monday - Tucson Roadrunners
- Hogs Can Clinch Lottery Cup Tonight against Wolves - Rockford IceHogs
- Dennis Gilbert Signs with Blackhawks, Will Report to Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- Thunderbirds Announce Sellout for Season Finale on Saturday, April 14 - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Sound Tigers Complete Season this Weekend - Bridgeport Islanders
- Last Trip to Laval this Season - Toronto Marlies
- Game Day Build-Up: Senators at Americans, April 13 - Belleville Senators
- Amerks Reassign Johansson to Cincinnati - Rochester Americans
- 'Cuda Down Condors 4-3 in Home Finale, Keep Playoff Hopes Intact - San Jose Barracuda
- Griffins Score Four Straight, Win 6-2 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Marody Scores First Pro Goal in Condors Loss - Bakersfield Condors
- San Antonio Suffers 6-2 Loss to Grand Rapids - San Antonio Rampage
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.
