Mike McKenna Named B-Sens' 2011-12 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year

Published on April 2, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Binghamton Senators News Release


BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - The Binghamton Senators are proud to announce that Mike McKenna has been named the team's winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Binghamton community during the 2011-12 season.

Despite this being McKenna's first season in the B-Sens organization, the goaltender was eager to be involved in the local community from the start. Upon arriving to Ottawa Senators training camp, McKenna was already brainstorming creative ways he could assist those in need in the Southern Tier.

McKenna, an animal lover and pet adoption advocate at heart, was the driving force behind the team's season-long Paws for Cause efforts. He and his Binghamton Senators teammates partnered with Dickin Memorial Animal Hospital in Johnson City in an effort to raise money for the Broome County Humane Society and Project P.A.W., both of whom were largely affected by the September floods.

In addition to the planned Paws for Cause fundraisers McKenna enlisted the help of his teammates in making weekly visits to the Humane Society to help with the shelter's flood recovery efforts.

Also on his own time he has conducted goalie clinics for local youth and high school hockey programs in which he asked that anyone who wished to participate make a donation to Paws for Cause.

McKenna has also eagerly volunteered his time at the following events to date:

* The 2011 Binghamton Senators Charity Golf Classic to benefit Wendy's Walk for Kids

* The Magic Paintbrush Project's Paint with the Players event

* The Toys for Tots spaghetti dinner

* The Muscular Dystrophy Association's seventh annual Spaghetti on Ice event

* The 3rd annual Hockey and Heels event

* Binghamton Hockey Booster Club general membership meetings

* Fundraisers for the Jack Jablonski Fund

McKenna is now one of 30 finalists for the AHL's 2011-12 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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