A CHARITABLE MAN 

A long time ago, we heard the word “integrity” best defined as, “an individual being the same person when nobody is looking as when everyone is looking.”

Well, the Hartford Wolf Pack today announced that Brodie Dupont has been named the team’s winner of the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Hartford community during the 2009-10 season. Now there’s a man with integrity.

“I just got off the phone with Bob (Crawford, Director of Broadcasting and Public Relations). He just informed me that I won the award. It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized,” the third year pro from Russell, Manitoba said. “But I don’t do (charity work) for that. It’s something that I’ve always enjoyed doing.”  Dupont also won the Community service awarded in juniors in 2005 as part of the Calgary Hitmen.

Dupont was a leader among the Wolf Pack players, throughout the year, in volunteering for school visits and any other sort of youth-oriented outreach opportunities that the team was taking part in. The NY rangers third round pick (#66 overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft outdid himself at the Wolf Pack’s premier community relations event, the late-January “Tip-a-Player” Dinner and Sports Carnival.  Dupont worked the crowd hard and was the top collector among the players of “Puck Bucks”, the “tipping” currency of the event. As the top collector of “Puck Bucks,” that gave him top earner among his peers and he raised the most money for the cause.  The center/forward did just about anything and everything to accomplish it. He had to put himself on the line for a number of acts of entertainment, including the crowning touch of submitting to having his hair chopped off as a grand finale to the evening. “It was fun,” He said. “And it raised a lot of money for a really worthwhile cause.”

Brodie took it upon himself to make a personal visit to Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, CT, the beneficiary of the Tip-a-Player event, and brought some meaningful encouragement to the patients there who are recovering from catastrophic and life-changing injuries and medical conditions. 

“I grew up watching my dad (St. Lazare, Manitoba Mayor, Martin Dupont) volunteering and being involved with everything. It’s always been a part of my family.”

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

Dupont 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.

Last season, Dale Weise was given this same honor and the year prior to that it was Mitch Fritz.

The Yanick Dupre Memorial Award is an honor bestowed between cooperation between the Wolf Pack and the AHL. The team has it’s own community service award that honors Mary Lynn Gorman, a long time Pack employee. That award is presented at the end of the season at the last game. Past winners of that award are:

2007 – 2008 Mitch Fritz

2006 – 2007 Hugh Jessiman/Jake Taylor

2005 – 2006 Colby Genoway/Alexandre Giroux

2004 – 2005 Dominic Moore

2003 – 2004 Phil Osaer

2002 – 2003 Dean Arsene

2001 – 2002 Richard Scott

2000 – 2001 Mike Mottau

1999 – 2000 Brad Smyth

1998 – 1999 Brent Thompson

1997 – 1998 Brent Thompson

Howlings extends a heartfelt congratulations to a solid player and an even better person, Brodie Dupont…

(Brodie Dupont photo courtesy of life.com)