Martel Named Phantoms' 2016-17 'Man of the Year'

Photo: Nina Weiss/ HighlandPark Hockey 

Martel's contributions in the Lehigh Valley recognized by AHL

Written by: Tony Androckitis - Twitter/Facebook

The American Hockey League (AHL) announced this afternoon the individual team winners of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year awards.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms' selected team winner is forward Danick Martel. It's hard not to see Martel's name pop up away from the rink, where he is a regular at the Phantoms Youth practices as well as in area schools and the children's hospital.

Martel, along with representatives from each of the league's other 29 teams, are finalists for the 2016-17 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award - voted on by representatives of the AHL and IOA/American Specialty.

The AHL’s annual Man of the Year award is named after the late Yanick Dupre, who died in 1997 at the age of 24 following a 16-month battle with leukemia.

Previous Lehigh Valley Man of the Year award team winners include Davis Drewiske (2015-16) and Zack Stortini (2014-15).


From the AHL's release, here's the list of the individual team winners:

Rod Pelley, Albany Devils (1st-time winner)
Bryce Aneloski, Bakersfield Condors (1st)
Matt O’Connor, Binghamton Senators (1st)
Kyle Burroughs, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (1st)
Kyle Hagel, Charlotte Checkers (7th)
Brett Sterling, Chicago Wolves (3rd)
Jaime Sifers, Cleveland Monsters (1st)
Nathan Paetsch, Grand Rapids Griffins (1st)
Chris Brown, Hartford Wolf Pack (1st)
Liam O’Brien, Hershey Bears (1st)
Alex Tuch, Iowa Wild (1st)
Danick Martel, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1st)
Eric Comrie, Manitoba Moose (1st)
Jack Dougherty, Milwaukee Admirals (1st)
Vincent LoVerde, Ontario Reign (1st)
Tommy Cross, Providence Bruins (1st)
Mac Bennett, Rochester Americans (1st)
Pierre-Cedric Labrie, Rockford IceHogs (1st)
David Broll, St. John’s IceCaps (1st)
A.J. Greer, San Antonio Rampage (1st)
Jordan Samuels-Thomas, San Diego Gulls (1st)
Troy Grosenick, San Jose Barracuda (1st)
Ian McCoshen, Springfield Thunderbirds (1st)
Mark Jankowski, Stockton Heat (1st)
Matt Taormina, Syracuse Crunch (1st)
Brandon DeFazio, Texas Stars (5th)
Richard Clune, Toronto Marlies (1st)
Brandon Burlon, Tucson Roadrunners (1st)
Derek Hulak, Utica Comets (3rd)
Cameron Gaunce, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (1st)