Aidan Fulp Named Islanders' AHL Man of the Year
Apr 15, 2025
The Bridgeport Islanders are proud to announce that Aidan Fulp has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year Award for his outstanding contributions to the greater Bridgeport community during the 2024-25 season.
Fulp eagerly participated in more than 20 community events as part of the Islanders’ community program. He is often the first player to register for an event, encouraged his teammates to join him, and challenged the team to secure more community appearances. The 25-year-old has constantly exemplified what it means to be dedicated to the community.
Fulp made it a priority to be visible in Fairfield and New Haven Counties, and beyond. In November, he led a player-driven partnership with One Tough Cookie, organizing care packages for oncology nurses at Yale New Haven Hospital as part of ‘Hockey Fights Cancer.’
He consistently donated his time after practices, and on days off, volunteering with many other key initiatives. He visited the 103rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut Air National Guard to meet their staff and learn more about their mission and operations for ‘Military Appreciation Night.’ As part of ‘Hometown Heroes Night,’ he and his teammates visited Stratford EMS to show their appreciation and donate tickets to local first responders.
Fulp has been a staple at the Yale New Haven Toy Closet Program for the last two years. The Toy Closet Program provides gifts to children during hospital stays especially during Christmas time. More than $3,000 worth of toys were delivered and organized by Fulp and his teammates in December. He also visited the Yale New Haven Hospital in a separate initiative during the holidays, meeting with children, taking photos, and signing autographs.
Other notable appearances Fulp was involved with include: Serving meals to veterans at Homes for the Brave in Bridgeport, participating in numerous youth hockey practices including events at SoNo Icehouse and Wonderland of Ice, packaging meals with Connecticut Foodshare in support of local food pantries, and spending an afternoon with children at Make-A-Wish in Trumbull.
At each of these events, Fulp set the bar high for his teammates and Islanders’ staff members. A fan favorite, Fulp always makes time to connect with the community, take photos and hear their stories.
Fulp is now one of 32 finalists for the AHL’s 2024-25 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 later this month.