SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced the four people selected for induction into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame as the Class of 2027.
Honored by the AHL Hall of Fame Selection Committee as the latest group of enshrinees are Dave Fenyves, Ross Fitzpatrick, Doug Gibson and Tom Mitchell.
The induction of the Class of 2027 will take place as part of the festivities at the 2027 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Rectifi, to be hosted by the Cleveland Monsters. The American Hockey League Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony is scheduled for February 8, 2027, in Cleveland.
In addition, the AHL announced that a special 18-member 90th Anniversary Class representing the early era of the league will be unveiled next month as the AHL commemorates the anniversary of its first-ever games played on November 7, 1936.
Formed in 2006 to recognize, honor and celebrate individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions in the American Hockey League, the AHL Hall of Fame is housed online at AHLHallofFame.com and is accessible to fans worldwide as part of the AHL Internet Network.
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and staff of all 32 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of NHL players each year are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 130 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers.
CLASS OF 2027: DAVE FENYVES
A prolific two-way defenseman, Dave Fenyves signed with the Buffalo Sabres as a 19-year-old in 1979 and made his debut with the Rochester Americans the following season, beginning a 13-year professional career. Fenyves would go on to record 321 points in 710 games in the American Hockey League, while also skating in more than 200 contests in the NHL. The Ontario native was voted to a postseason AHL All-Star Team three times and was selected as the winner of the Eddie Shore Award, given to the league’s outstanding defenseman, in both 1987-88 and 1988-89. A respected leader, Fenyves served as captain and won the Jack Butterfield Trophy as playoff MVP for the Amerks’ 1987 Calder Cup championship season, and he was wearing the “C” again the following year when his Hershey Bears won the title in 1988.
CLASS OF 2027: ROSS FITZPATRICK
Ross Fitzpatrick played parts of 10 seasons in the American Hockey League with the Maine Mariners, Springfield Indians, Hershey Bears and Binghamton Rangers and topped the 20-goal mark eight times, highlighted by a 50-goal campaign with the Bears in 1985-86. Fitzpatrick totaled 308 goals and 311 assists for 619 points in 554 AHL games, placing him 14th all-time in per-game average (1.12) among players with at least 500 career points. A two-time Second Team AHL All-Star, Fitzpatrick also scored 11 goals in 12 playoff games during Hershey’s 1988 Calder Cup championship run, and he led the league in assists while coming in second in the overall scoring race with 103 points during the 1989-90 campaign. Fitzpatrick, a 1980 draft choice by Philadelphia, played 20 games with the Flyers and has been a scout for the organization since 2006.
CLASS OF 2027: DOUG GIBSON
Doug Gibson’s seven-year playing career in the AHL saw him rack up accolades from the start, when he registered 31 goals and 82 points as a rookie with the Boston Braves in 1973-74. In year two, Gibson – skating with the Rochester Americans – was voted AHL MVP after he became the first player in league history to finish first in goals (44), assists (72) and points (116) in the same season. He earned his second MVP award in 1976-77 following a 97-point campaign with the Amerks before moving on to Hershey, where he spent three seasons with the Bears. In November of 1979, the 26-year-old Gibson added coaching duties to his role as team captain and became the unanimous winner of the Louis A.R. Pieri Award as the league’s coach of the year after guiding Hershey to the 1980 Calder Cup.
CLASS OF 2027: TOM MITCHELL
A native of Vanderhoof, B.C., Tom Mitchell became the face of AHL hockey in Binghamton, N.Y., during more than 40 years as an owner and executive. With his business partners Bob Carr and Jim McCoy, Mitchell purchased the Binghamton Whalers franchise in 1985 and he would serve as the managing partner of the Whalers and later Binghamton Rangers for 12 seasons. After the franchise was sold and moved to Hartford, Mitchell was named the executive vice president of operations for the AHL’s Wolf Pack in 1997 and was a special consultant for the club when they won the Calder Cup in 2000. Mitchell was then instrumental in bringing AHL hockey back to Binghamton in 2002, leading the business operations of the Senators and Devils until 2021 – including the Sens’ 2011 championship season. During his career, Mitchell was a recipient of both the James C. Hendy Award (1988) and the Thomas Ebright Award (2010) for his contributions to the AHL.
