AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC | Hall of Fame, Induction, Dave Andrews, Nolan Baumgartner, Keith Aucoin, Dave Creighton, Bill Torrey, Interviews, AHL, Rocket Sports Media

LAVAL, QC — Quick on the heels of an exciting and record-setting AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday night, media members, players, and dignitaries gathered on Monday morning at the Theatre Marcellin-Champagnat in Laval. They were there to witness the 2023 AHL Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Honoring the Captains

Prior to inducting this year’s member class of the AHL Hall of Fame, league president Scott Howson was on hand to acknowledge and present awards to this year’s playing captains. This year, the Western Conference captain is Brian Lashoff of the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Eastern Conference captain is former Monteral Canadiens draft pick Gabriel Dumont of the Syracuse Crunch.

Immediately following that, Howson presented an award to this year’s two honorary captains, both former members of the Montreal Canadiens: Yvon Lambert and Mike Keane.

Hall of Fame Class

Next came the centerpiece of the morning’s festivities, when some very notable names were officially inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame. With the postponement of the All-Star Classic for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s class also comprised members who were originally meant to be inducted in 2021 and 2022.

This year’s inductees included Nolan Baumgartner, Keith Aucoin, Dave Creighton, William A. Torry, and Dave Andrews.

Andrews has been key in building the AHL into the league it has become today, through his 26-year tenure as the president of the league. He has only recently retired from the position in the past couple of years, but remains an advisor to Howson and league administrators.

AHL Report correspondent Chris G. was on hand in Laval today and spoke to Andrews after the ceremony. Listen to the interview in the players below!

Dave Andrews