SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League held its 2026 Awards Gala during the Board of Governors’ Annual Meeting at Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Wednesday evening, presenting several awards for excellence and service.

Rockford IceHogs president of hockey operations and general manager Mark Bernard has been honored with the Bruce Landon Award as the AHL’s outstanding hockey operations executive for 2025-26.

Faced with personal health challenges this past season – including a successful liver transplant in March – Bernard continued to lead Rockford’s hockey staff without missing a beat. He was key in the planning process for the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic hosted by the IceHogs, and he also played a pivotal role on the AHL’s collective bargaining committee, attending numerous meetings and helping to navigate a resolution on a new agreement between the league and the PHPA.

The Bruce Landon Award was created prior to the 2024-25 season to honor Bruce Landon, a member of the American Hockey League Hall of Fame and a mainstay in Springfield, Mass., as a player, executive and owner for nearly half a century.