Phil Kemp Named Penguins' Winner of the IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year Award
AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Phil Kemp Named Penguins' Winner of the IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year Award

Published on April 14, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are proud to announce that defenseman Phil Kemp has been named the team's winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his contributions to the Northeast Pennsylvania community during the 2025-26 season.

Kemp, 27, was a regular participant in the Penguins' many voluntary community initiatives throughout the season, as well as serving as an outgoing and approachable leader for the team at all of its off-ice events. From the start of the season, he was at the forefront of personal season-ticket deliveries to long-time Penguins ticket members. He also assisted with food distribution through the CEO Weinberg Food Bank, and made multiple visits to local hospitals in Northeast PA.

Kemp is also a featured participant in the Penguins GOALS Foundation 'Battle of the Beards', choosing to raise funds for the Janet Weis Children's Hospital in Danville during this year's playoffs.

Kemp is in his sixth season of professional hockey, but his first with the Penguins. He was named the 22nd captain in team history on Nov. 20, 2025.

Kemp is one of 32 finalists for the AHL's 2024-25 Yanick Dupré 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 Dupré Memorial Award will be announced by the American Hockey League in the coming weeks.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's next game is tomorrow, Wednesday, Apr. 15, when the team hosts the Hershey Bears for the conclusion of their 10-game season series. Game time between the Penguins and Bears is set for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.

The Penguins have three games left in the regular season before starting their run in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Postseason opponents and schedules are yet to be determined, but fans can cheer on the team throughout its entire playoff run by purchasing a Penguins Playoff Package.

Playoff packages, which are billed on a pay-as-we-play basis, include tickets to every confirmed home game during the postseason. Each package also comes with an $8 voucher for every home game, which can be redeemed at Savor concession stands or at the Penguins Igloo Team Store located inside Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza on each designated game date.

Penguins Playoff Packages, as well as individual-game tickets for the remaining regular-season home games are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367 or at wbspenguins.com.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from April 14, 2026


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