SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Michael DiPietro of the Providence Bruins is the winner of the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender for the second consecutive season.
The award was voted on by coaches, players and members of the media representing each of the league’s 32 cities. DiPietro joins Dustin Wolf (2022, 2023) as the only back-to-back winners of the Bastien Award.
DiPietro followed a career year in 2024-25 by putting up even better numbers in 2025-26. He posted a record of 34-8-1 in 45 appearances for Providence and led the entire AHL in goals-against average (1.91), save percentage (.930) and wins (34) while also ranking fifth in minutes played (2,644), shots faced (1,202) and saves (1,118). He won his first seven starts of the season and went 14-1-0 over a two-month stretch from Jan. 17 to Mar. 14, backstopping the Bruins to the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL’s regular-season champions. DiPietro made his second appearance at the AHL All-Star Classic in February, and he was voted a First Team AHL All-Star for the second year in a row as well.
DiPietro has appeared in 190 career AHL games over his seven pro seasons with Providence, Abbotsford and Utica, going 118-50-14 with a 2.39 GAA, a .918 save percentage and 12 shutouts. The 26-year-old native of Windsor, Ont., was selected by Vancouver in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft and has made four career appearances in the NHL, including one this season with Boston. He was acquired by the Bruins via trade on Oct. 27, 2022.
The Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award, which was first presented in 1984, honors former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Baz Bastien, who played four seasons in goal with the AHL’s Pittsburgh Hornets (1945-49) before suffering a career-ending eye injury. Bastien would go on to serve as head coach and general manager of the Hornets, leading them to the 1967 Calder Cup championship. Previous winners of the award include Jon Casey (1985), Sam St. Laurent (1986), Mark Laforest (1987, ’91), Felix Potvin (1992), Corey Hirsch (1993), Jim Carey (1995), Manny Legace (1996), Martin Biron (1999), Dwayne Roloson (2001), Jason LaBarbera (2004, ’07), Ryan Miller (2005), Michael Leighton (2008), Cory Schneider (2009), Jonathan Bernier (2010), Jake Allen (2014), Matt Murray (2015), Peter Budaj (2016), Troy Grosenick (2017), Alex Nedeljkovic (2019), Kaapo Kahkonen (2020), Logan Thompson (2021), Dustin Wolf (2022, ’23) and Hunter Shepard (2024).
In operation since 1936 and celebrating its 90th-anniversary season this year, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 32 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The winner of the 2025-26 Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award (outstanding rookie) will be announced Thursday.
