Photo: Kaiolena Tacazon
The Professional Hockey Players Association announced that Michael DiPietro of the Providence Bruins has been honored as the first recipient of the PHPA’s Doug Messier Award for the 2025-26 American Hockey League season.
This award will be given annually to the best player in each of the AHL and ECHL, as voted on by other PHPA members.
A founding member of the PHA, Doug Messier helped lead the effort to form a players association in the Western Hockey League in 1967, which evolved into the PHPA when players from the AHL joined the organization the following year. Recipients of this award will demonstrate excellence, professionalism and the kind of character that earns the respect of their peers: qualities that reflect Messier’s lasting impact on the game.
DiPietro finished the regular season with a 34-8-1 record while leading the AHL in save percentage (.930) and goals-against average (1.91). His league-best 34 wins helped Providence capture the MacGregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL regular season champions. DiPietro was also voted the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL MVP and the Baz Bastien Award as the best goaltender, and was selected as a First Team AHL All-Star.
