HARTFORD, April 2, 2014: The Hartford Wolf Pack are proud to announce that Ryan Bourque has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Hartford community during the 2013-14 season.
Bourque was a tireless advocate of the Wolf Pack’s “Read to the Rink” program, visiting schools throughout the Hartford area and reading to all levels of students. The Boxford, MA native also took a leading role in various team events throughout the season, such as the Wolf Pack Bowl-a-thon for Special Olympics, the Boys’ and Girls’ Club Holiday Party and the Wolf Pack Tip-a-Player Dinner for Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, which combined to raise over $25,000. Bourque also helped spread grass-roots hockey good will, by attending and helping to run several local youth-hockey practices.
Bourque is now one of 30 finalists for the AHL’s 2013-14 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 later this month.
