Mike McKenna Named Rivermen Man of the Year
Published on April 11, 2013 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Peoria Rivermen News Release
The Peoria Rivermen 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 Peoria community during the 2012-13 season.
This is the fourth time in his AHL career that McKenna has been recognized for his work in the community. He won the same award in Portland (2007-08), Lowell (2009-10) and Binghamton (2011-12).
In just his first season with the Rivermen, McKenna wasted little time getting involved in the local community. He is always eager to volunteer to spend time with patients at the Children's Hospital of Illinois or speak to school kids about the importance of an education.
With his free time, McKenna has organized goaltending clinics for local youth hockey players and has worked to teach some members of the Rivermen Kids Club, many of whom had never been on the ice before, some of the fundamentals of skating.
Passionate about working with animals, McKenna became very involved with the Peoria Humane Society. He can often be found, with his teammates, spending time with the animals or even doing landscaping work around the complex.
One of the most active personalities in social media, the goaltender has endeared himself to the fan base in Peoria by providing them a glimpse into his personal life and engaging them in questions and comments.
Earlier this month, at the Rivermen Booster Club annual banquet, McKenna was presented with both the Pete BardazBanien Trophy - presented to the most popular player, as well as the Mark Olson Award - which is given to the player dedicated to community service and furthering the game of hockey.
McKenna is now one of 30 finalists for the AHL's 2012-13 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 on Apr. 18.
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