Maine Hockey Journal

Whitmore named Pirates’ AHL Man of the Year

The Portland Pirates are proud to announce that Derek Whitmore has been named the team’s winner of the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Portland community during the 2009-10 season.

Whitmore was also the Pirates nominee for the award in 2008-09 and, for the second straight season, had a positive impact on the community through his participation in numerous charitable endeavors throughout the community.

The 25 year-old from Rochester, New York took a lead role in the Pirates Goals for Success Program and visited a number of schools during the 2009-10 season. The Goals for Success Program, presented by Aquafina and Healthy Maine Partnerships, is a 45-minute presentation created to encourage students to set goals, eat and live healthy and to avoid the negative influences that they might encounter as they grow up.

In addition to his role in Goals for Success, Whitmore also had an impact in a number of community activities during the course of the season including participating WJBQ’s Cans for a Cure, appearing at Gary Pike Day (annual Gary’s House fund raiser in Wells), assisting in organizing the Pirates for the 5th Annual Dine Around the World Food & Wine Tasting Extravaganza, attending the Junior League of Portland’s Freeze Out Hunger Dinner as well as visiting the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.

In recognition of his efforts, Whitmore will be presented with an etched crystal trophy during an on-ice presentation prior to an upcoming Pirates home game.

Whitmore is now one of 29 finalists for the AHL’s 2009-10 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall 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 in the coming weeks.

(Courtesy of Portland Pirates PR)

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