Bardreau Named Islanders' AHL Man of the Year
Apr 11, 2024The Bridgeport Islanders are proud to announce that Cole Bardreau has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Bridgeport community during the 2023-24 season.
Bardreau was the driving force behind nearly a dozen player-led initiatives during his fifth season with the team. The 30-year-old has constantly exemplified what it means to be dedicated to the community.
Before the season even began, Bardreau made it a priority to be a staple in the Greater Bridgeport area. He joined the Islanders’ front office in September for a volunteer event with Connecticut Foodshare, spending several hours boxing non-perishable food items to be distributed to pantries and local shelters.
Once the regular season began, Bardreau spent time after practice, and on days off, volunteering with many key initiatives. Those included spending time with police and fire departments in advance of the team’s annual First Responders Night in January and working closely with local non-profits such as the Danni Kemp Cancer Foundation and Capalbo Strong. He helped raise more than $5,000 for each organization and assisted with more than 60 potential bone-marrow donors get swabbed for matches on Mar. 9th.
Bardreau also volunteered his time with Fairfield University’s “Best Buddies” program earlier this month, spending an afternoon with students living with special needs. He invited more than 30 of those individuals out to the team’s annual Autism Appreciation game on Apr. 7th.
Bardreau is now one of 32 finalists for the AHL’s 2023-24 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.