SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Alexander Lyons of the Chicago Wolves is the recipient of the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award for the 2021-22 season. Since 1972, the award has been given to the goaltender(s) of the team that allows the fewest goals per game in the regular season.

To qualify for the award, a goalkeeper must have appeared in at least 25 games for his team.

Wolves, who won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as AHL regular season champions with a 50-16-5-5 (.724) record, allowed an average of 2.55 goals per game in 2021 -2022, leading the league for the first time since joining the AHL in 2001.

Lyon made 30 appearances in goal for Chicago, posting an 18-7-3 record and ranking second in the AHL with a 2.16 goals-against average while recording a .912 save percentage and three shutouts . He also played two NHL games with the parents of the Carolina Hurricanes. The sixth-year pro from Baudette, Minn., is 93-61-18 with a 2.65 GAA, .913 save percentage and nine shutouts in 179 AHL appearances with Chicago and Lehigh Valley.

Lyon was one of eight goalkeepers to feature in a Wolves game this season, joining Piotr Kochetkov, Eetu Makiniemi, Jack Lafontaine, Dylan Wells, Daniel Mannelle, Michael Lackey and hot beck.

The Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award, first given in 1948 to the goaltender with the best goals-against average in the AHL, is named after the member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Harry “Hap” Holmes, a prominent figure in early professional hockey and an outstanding goaltender of his day. Previous winners or co-winners of the award include Gilles Mayer (1951, ’53, ’54, ’55, ’56), Johnny Bower (1957, ’58), Marcel Paille (1961, ’62), Gerry Cheevers (1965), Gilles Villemure (1969, ’70), Pete Peeter (1979), Pelle Lindbergh (nineteen eighty one), Clint Malarchuk (1983), Vincent Riendeau (1987, ’88), Corey Hirsch (1993), Olaf Kolzig (1994), Byron Dafoe (1994), Mike Dunham (1995), Manny Legace (1996), Jean-Sebastien Giguere (1998), Martin Biron (1999), Cory Schneider (2009), Matt Murray (2015), Tristan Jarry (2017), Casey DeSmith (2017), Garret Sparkle (2018), Calvin Pickard (2018), Troy Grosenick (2020), Connor Ingram (2020), Phoenix Copley (2021) and Zach Fucale (2021).

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to be the top developmental league for the National Hockey League’s 32 teams. Nearly 90% of all players who play in the NHL are AHL graduates, and over the years the American Hockey League has hosted more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.