Texas Stars Forward Curtis McKenzie Wins Yanick Dupre Memorial Award
Texas Stars forward Curtis McKenzie has won the AHL's Yanick Dupre Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations for the 2024-25 season.
The award is voted on by the AHL and representatives from IOA and American Specialty.
Each AHL nominates a Man of the Year and the recipient of the Yanick Dupre Award is selected from that group.
McKenzie is three-time recipient of the Stars' IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year honors for his contributions to the local community. Among his contributions, McKenzie serves on the board of the Texas Stars Foundation.
For his outstanding commitment to the greater Austin community, we are pleased to recognize Curtis McKenzie with the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award, as the 2024-25 @IOAUSA/@amerspecins AHL Man of the Year 🥇🏆https://t.co/JsCJzub8av | #AHLAwards pic.twitter.com/LoG9zSXt7f
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) May 9, 2025
Additionally, McKenzie founded the Captains Kid's program, granting children and their families opportunities to attend a Stars game and interact with the team.
The 34-year-old is serving as Stars captain for the fifth total season. He participated in the AHL All-Star Game this season and recorded 30 points in 67 games.
He won the Calder Cup and AHL Rookie of the Year award in the 2013-14 season with the Stars.
Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.
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F1 Journalist Calls Out Body Shaming in Bold Social Media Statement
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Keep in mind Braden Smith is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, after all. But Purdue fans should be excited. This is the non-Luke Ertel category, FYI. ∎ Dikembe Shaw, Crown Point: The 6-7 Shaw was outstanding in the Juniors' victory over the Indiana All-Stars, going for 24 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the 3-point line. He took just nine shots. Shaw fouled out with about seven minutes left in the game and the Juniors down by seven. His recruitment will be interesting. He has offers from Indiana State, IU Indy, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo, but there are high-major programs like DePaul, Indiana, Northwestern and Purdue interested. ∎ Kai McGrew, Fishers: The 6-9 McGrew, who transferred from Lawrence North to Fishers for his senior year, is always making plays around the basket — on offense and defense. He had a big blocked shot of Tre Singleton in the final seconds on what could have been the go-ahead basket. He also scored the go-ahead basket on the previous possession on an alley-oop from Terrence Hayes Jr. of Gary 21st Century with an athletic play that he made look easier than it was. McGrew is more than a post player. He can step out and shoot (1-for-2 from 3) and makes free throws. McGrew finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots. ∎ Brennan Miller, Lawrence North: The 6-9 Miller did most of his damage in the second half, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting with seven rebounds and three assists. Miller was on the court during the finishing flurry, making a basket to bring the Junior All-Stars within one point in the final minute and making two clutch free throws to put his team up three. ∎ Justin Curry, Noblesville: The 6-3 Curry made a pair of 3s early in the game and finished with 12 points, three rebounds and two assists. 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Davis, who works as an analyst for the Big Ten Network, played at Fort Wayne South Side and La Lumiere before going to Purdue out of the 2012 graduating class. I'm old enough to have watched him play in high school and, of course, at Purdue, where he was a team leader and outstanding defense player. So, Davis has played at a high level and is certainly entitled to his opinion. That nine-word tweet is vague, though I take it to mean the talent level has fallen off. If that is his opinion, that is his opinion. But I will say this: I don't think we can judge a class on the front end anymore. The scholarship offers from college programs for the 2012 class is an altogether different world from the 2025 class. The transfer portal has changed things dramatically. I look at a player like Junior All-Star Dikembe Shaw of Crown Point (6-7, can shoot from the perimeter) and wonder how many offers he would have if this was 6, 7, 10 years ago. There is no way to know, of course, but my guess is he would have more than Indiana State, IU Indy, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo. I think Jeffersonville's Michael Cooper, a Wright State commit, is a high-major guard. These are anecdotal opinions but a better assessment of the 2025 class as a whole will come in four or five years, when we see how these players progress in college and, potentially, use the transfer portal to work their way up. Saying 'the 2012 class had X number of high-major recruits compared to the 2025 class' is apples and oranges coming out of high school now. Check back in four or five years.