SPRINGFIELD, MA – The American Hockey League announced today that, in recognition of their efforts during the pandemic, head athletic trainers from all 31 member clubs have been selected as the winners of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award for 2020-21. Included in that group is Ontario’s Jeff Andrews, who has served as the team’s Head Athletic Trainer since 2017. In addition to their day-to-day responsibilities of looking after the general health of their players – including the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries – these athletic trainers and therapists took on the additional duties of testing, monitoring and administering the AHL’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, allowing the league to operate in a safe and effective manner during the pandemic. Andrews recently completed his fourth season with Reign as Head Athletic Trainer. He originally came to Ontario from the Binghamton Senators, former AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators, where he held the same position of Head Athletic Trainer from 2013-17. Andrews was also the Head Athletic Trainer with the ECHL's Elmira Jackals for two seasons from 2011-13. Andrews is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society (PHATS), and Active Release Techniques (ART). Andrews also has clinical experience as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Elmira College, and Cayuga Medical Center Sports Medicine and Athletic Performance. Presented annually since 1998, this award traditionally acknowledges a player as the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year for his outstanding contributions to his local community; in 2020-21, the league is pleased to recognize the athletic training staffs from all 31 organizations. The AHL’s annual Man of the Year award is named after the late Yanick Dupre, who passed away in 1997 at the age of 24 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. A second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1991, Dupre played four seasons in the AHL with the Hershey Bears and was an AHL All-Star in 1995. In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Reign will return to the Inland Empire in Fall 2021. Visit www.ontarioreign.com for the most up to date information regarding the club. ### Ontario Reign Hockey