GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins are proud to announce that goaltender Jimmy Howard has been named the team’s winner of the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the West Michigan community during the 2008-09 season.

For the last three seasons, Howard has provided fun and therapeutic nights out for hospitalized children and their families through his “Howard’s Heroes” program. He purchases four season tickets and donates them to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, affording children and their families the opportunity to watch the Griffins play. After every game, the special guests visit the locker room to meet Howard, tour the locker room, be introduced to other Griffins players and receive a stick autographed by the netminder and his teammates.

Despite dealing with one of the AHL’s busiest travel schedules, Howard unselfishly gives a large portion of his limited free time to volunteer for a number of the Griffins’ community endeavors. He attended several youth hockey practices this season as part of the “Growing With the Griffins” program, made frequent visits to hospitalized kids, served food at local missions, participated in the Zeeland Christmas Parade, and was a part of the Griffins’ inaugural “Pups and Pucks” event at Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary to raise money for pet adoption. In addition, Howard participated in several full-team functions, including the Great Skate Winterfest and the Griffins versus Sled Wings sled hockey game.

In recognition of his efforts, Howard will be presented with an etched crystal trophy during an on-ice presentation prior to the Griffins’ regular season home finale on Friday, April 10. In addition, Howard will receive $500 as the team’s community player of the year, sponsored locally by Centennial Securities and Dean Foods.

Howard, who earned the Griffins’ award for the second consecutive season, is now one of 29 finalists for the AHL’s 2008-09 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall 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 AHL in the coming weeks.