SUBBAN NAMED AMERKS’ 2022-23 IOA/AMERICAN SPECIALTY AHL MAN OF THE YEAR
Goaltender now one of 32 finalists for the 2022-23 Yanick Dupré Memorial Award
May 2, 2023The Rochester Americans are proud to announce that goaltender Malcolm Subban has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the year award for his outstanding contributions to the Rochester community during the 2022-23 season.
Subban made an immediate connection to the Rochester community and became an instant fan-favorite in his first season with the Amerks.
He made his first introduction to Amerks fans at the season kick-off party back in October, an annual event that made its highly anticipated return following nearly a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A few weeks later, Subban and the Amerks brought back the ever-popular Reading Power Play Program for its remarkable 17th season, and the first held in-person since 2019-20. The Amerks Reading Power Play program, presented exclusively by Wendy’s, involves players stopping by local libraries, reading to kids and giving a hockey demonstration and allows the kids to learn about the game of hockey and the shows the importance of reading.
In November, Subban and a few others prepared dinner for the residents and families in the care of the Ronald McDonald House, which serves as a home-away-from-home for families traveling to the Rochester area for their child’s medical care.
As the holidays approached, Subban led a full-team outing as all 25 Amerks players, in addition to head coach Seth Appert, visited two Rochester-area hospitals in the same day to deliver gifts, visit with patients and help spready holiday cheer.
The Amerks once again partnered with New York’s 529 College Savings Plan for another season of the Amerks Jr. Reporter Program and Subban helped provide once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to local kids that won the chance to interview him and get a tour of the Amerks locker room afterwards as well as watch an Amerks practice.
In February as part of the nationwide celebration of Black History Month, Subban visited Bay Trail Middle School in Penfield to share his journey and offer insight into some of the personal obstacles he had to overcome in his professional career. He led a discussion on inclusivity and acceptance while reminding students that kindness and respect should be the pillars of every daily interaction.
One of Subban’s most admirable attributes is his willingness to develop personal relationships with the fans. On game nights when youth teams would sit on bench for warm-ups, Subban always took it upon himself to greet the kids with a smile and thank them for being such loyal supporters of the team.
In addition to being a true Amerks ambassador both on and off the ice, these are just a few of the many outstanding things Subban has done consistently to make a difference in the Greater Rochester Community.
Subban is now one of 32 finalists for the AHL’s 2022-23 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 on Thursday, May 4.