The Providence Bruins had themselves a historic AHL season, and the league’s end-of-season awards are reflecting that level of success.
The P-Bruins went a remarkable 56-16-2 in the 72-game regular season, finishing atop the AHL with 110 points.
That record set the new high water mark for the most wins in a 72-game regular season and earned the highest points percentage in team history.
It was the third time in P-Bruins history that they’ve had a season with 110 or more points.
Given that level of regular
season success, it’s no surprise that players and coaches are high on the list of pretty much every regular season AHL award.
Michael DiPietro wins Bastien, Cunningham Awards as MVP, Best Goalie
Goaltender Michael DiPietro was a star performer for the P-Bruins this season, winning the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP and the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s best goalie.
This marks the second season in a row that DiPietro has won the Bastien Award.
This season, he went 34-8-1 with a 1.91 GAA and .930 save percentage. Among qualified goalies, he had the most wins, lowest GAA, and highest save percentage, so…yeah. He had the goalie award in the bag.
(He also was tied for the league lead in points by a goalie, as he recorded three assists. HE CAN DO IT ALL.)
Per a team news release, DiPietro is the first Providence Bruin to win league MVP since Randy Robitaille in 1999.
He’s just the ninth goalie to win AHL MVP since the award’s inception (in 1948).
The Bruins signed DiPietro to a two-year contract extension last June, so he still has a season left on his deal after the current one ends.
DiPietro likely deserves some kind of NHL look at this point, but the fact that he’s waiver-eligible complicates his NHL status.
The Bruins acquired DiPietro in the Jack Studnicka trade back in October of 2022.
Ryan Mougenel named AHL’s Coach of the Year
When your team sets records, you’re likely to earn some personal hardware as well.
P-Bruins head coach Ryan Mougenel received the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award, given to the AHL’s best coach.
The winner is selected by fellow coaches and media members from around the league.
Mougenel has been the coach of the P-Bruins since 2021.
Brown wins Hunt Memorial Award
Last, but certainly not least, P-Bruins forward Patrick Brown won the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award, which is given to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey.”
The Hunt Awarded is voted on by a mix of players, coaches, and AHL media members.
Brown, the P-Bruins’ captain, had the best season of his AHL career, recording 20G-34A-54PTS in 70 games.
Providence is the top seed in the Atlantic Division’s section of the AHL playoff bracket, earning themselves a first-round bye.
They’ll play whichever team is the lowest remaining seed after the division’s first round match-ups, which are Charlotte vs. Springfield and Bridgeport vs. Hershey.
