SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch are proud to announce that Matt Taormina has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Syracuse community during the 2016-17 season.
Throughout the season, Taormina has gone above and beyond for the Syracuse community through his participation in fundraising efforts and work with Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
During the holiday season, Taormina joined teammates to visit patients at Golisano at their holiday party. He spent time with the kids and their families doing arts and crafts and giving out holiday gifts.
In addition to visits, the Crunch partnered with Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital to offer patients the opportunity to experience Crunch games. After select games, Taormina would welcome a patient into the locker room for an exclusive opportunity to visit the team and take a photo with the players.
Taormina helped carry on the team’s Change For Change initiative benefitting Golisano by meeting with the front office staff and ensuring events were scheduled to help the team raise money for the cause. He pulled the team together to make holiday ornaments after practice, which were sold during December games.
As part of the team’s additional fundraising efforts this season, the Crunch held a post-game skate to support the American Heart Association’s 2017 Syracuse Heart Walk. Taormina volunteered after a Saturday night home game to spend time skating with fans who made a donation to the Heart Walk team. He also took part in a celebrity bartending appearance that raised money for a local charity.
During a challenging season plagued with call-ups and injuries, Taormina stepped into a leadership role to help the Crunch navigate through the regular season. He organized the team and was constantly willing to participate in community events. He was committed to assisting with the team’s Change for Change initiative and helping to better the Syracuse community.
Taormina is now one of 30 finalists for the AHL’s 2016-17 Yanick Dupre 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 Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the American Hockey League at a later date.
