Vice President of Hockey Operations with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, Bryan Helmer, received the James C. Hendy Memorial Award and was named Executive of The Year.
History of Helmer
Bryan Helmer was a professional ice hockey player from 1993-2013. A majority of his career was played in the AHL, however, he did spend some time in the OHL, MetJHL, IHL, and the NHL. He played for the Hershey Bears from 2008-2010. As a defenseman, he wore number #20 for the Bears. He played over 1,000 games between the AHL and IHL. After retiring from playing hockey, he was the assistant coach of the Peterborough Petes in the OHL for the 2013-2014 season before being named assistant coach for the Hershey Bears. Helmer was officially named VP of Hockey Operations after the retirement of General Manager Doug Yingst in 2016; Helmer is the 6th Bear to receive this title. The Ontario native was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2017 after a legendary playing career. He was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Bryan won three Calder Cups with the Bears as a player, including back-to-back Calder Cups in 2009 and 2010 when he served as team captain. This was his first year winning the Calder Cup as an executive.
On top of his accomplishments in the hockey world, Bryan Helmer is also known for his good works, being a major player in initiatives to give back to the community, and just being an all around great guy.
“This guy is so incredibly deserving. More than that…and being a Hall of Famer…he’s one of the most positive, kindest people you will ever meet. Everyone he bumps into feels so incredibly important and special…and I know that from personal experience. Helms is a very, very special person, and we’re lucky to have him in Chocolatetown” – Bob Haur, On-Air Personality at iHeartMedia Inc. (aka the best host GIANT Center has ever seen.)
Needless to say, Bryan Helmer deserved this award for so many reasons. But when the VP isn’t working, he spends time with his wife Pam, his son Cade, and his daughter Rylan. He also is currently taking his time off taking the Calder Cup around Hershey, PA! For Helmer’s birthday, he took the cup to a local ice cream parlor and filled the entire cup with ice cream and chocolate syrup.
Photo Credit: The Hershey Bears
