IceHogs Earn AHL's Western Conference Season-Ticket Sales Revenue Growth Award

The American Hockey League held its 2022 Awards Gala during the Board of Governors’ Annual Meeting at Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Thursday evening with the Rockford IceHogs taking home hardware in as the top team in the Western Conference in season-ticket sales revenue growth.

The gala, part of the first in-person Annual Meeting in three years, also featured a celebration of the career of David Andrews, who retired as AHL President and CEO in 2020.

As part of its Team Business Services program, the AHL honored clubs for top revenue growth in four areas during this past season: overall ticket sales, season-ticket sales, group-ticket sales and corporate sponsorship sales. The winners in season-ticket sales revenue growth were the Bridgeport Islanders (Eastern) and the Rockford IceHogs (Western). The Utica Comets (Eastern) and San Diego Gulls (Western) earned the awards for corporate sponsorship sales growth, and the Tucson Roadrunners were recognized for their group-ticket sales growth. Recognized for overall ticket sales were the Utica Comets (Eastern Conference) and the Milwaukee Admirals (Western Conference).

Additionally, teams from each conference were selected for excellence in the areas of digital media, community relations and fan experience. The Cleveland Monsters (Eastern) and Texas Stars (Western) were honored for digital media excellence; the Rochester Americans (Eastern) and Colorado Eagles (Western) earned the nods for exceptional community relations efforts; and the Laval Rocket (Eastern) and Henderson Silver Knights (Western) were recognized for outstanding fan experience at home games.

The AHL also honored several teams and individuals for their efforts during the 2021-22 season at the league’s Team Business Meetings in Allentown, Pa., last month, including the Cleveland Monsters for the marketing department of the year, the Henderson Silver Knights for the sponsorship sales department of the year and the Grand Rapids Griffins for the ticket sales department of the year.

The Milwaukee Admirals were recognized for unique ticket sales promotion or theme night (“Milwaukee Fish Fry”); the Rochester Americans were selected for immersive game operations experience (Buffalo Bills Day); the Manitoba Moose were chosen for unique community relations initiative (“Women in Sport Job Shadow Program”); the Ontario Reign were honored for unique social media content (“Hockey Is For Everyone interview series); the Cleveland Monsters were given the award for unique sponsorship package or entitlement (presenting partnership with local Black-owned small business Immaculate Cleaning for Black Heritage Celebration); and the Springfield Thunderbirds were recognized for outstanding marketing campaign (“We Are 413”).

Jon Greenberg, president of the Milwaukee Admirals, has been selected as the winner of the James C. Hendy Memorial Award, given to the outstanding executive in the American Hockey League for 2021-22. The James C. Hendy Memorial Award is named for the late Jim Hendy, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and AHL Hall of Fame and long-time statistician and historian for the AHL who won four Calder Cups as general manager of the Cleveland Barons.

Springfield Thunderbirds general manager Kevin McDonald has been honored with the Thomas Ebright Award in recognition of career contributions to the AHL. The Thomas Ebright Award honors Tom Ebright, the former owner and governor of the Baltimore Skipjacks and Portland Pirates who passed away in 1997.

The Springfield Thunderbirds (team of the year) and Stefan Noesen of the Chicago Wolves (player excellence) were named the 2021-22 winners of the President’s Awards. Established in 2009, the President’s Awards are given to an AHL organization and/or player for overall excellence in the past year.

Veteran linesperson Brent Colby has been named the 2021-22 recipient of the Michael Condon Memorial Award for outstanding contributions by an on-ice official. The Michael Condon Memorial Award was created in 2002 following the sudden passing of veteran AHL linesman Mike Condon.'