Peter Vandermeer, who in 2020 was voted by the PHPA Executive Committee as the recipient of the Curt Leichner Distinguished Member Award, will finally be recognized in person when he is formally presented with the Award at the 2023 PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives this June in Orlando, Florida. 

The award, named in honor of former PHPA Executive Director, Curt Leichner, is presented annually to a member of the hockey community who has made significant contributions towards the advancement of professional minor league hockey. 

Throughout his 15-year professional hockey career split between the ECHL, American Hockey League, and National Hockey League, Vandermeer was as a PHPA Player Representative for twelve (12) seasons, and served as an elected member of the PHPA Executive Committee for six (6) years.  He helped negotiate three (3) AHL-PHPA Collective Bargaining Agreements, assisted with negotiations towards a contract extension for the Executive Director, participated in meetings and product testing with Reebok-CCM to help improve efficiencies, and made other key decisions for the PHPA including initiating the representation of Central Hockey League players, and authorizing the PHPA’s purchase of its own office building in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

“Peter was often looked upon by other Player Representatives and Executive Committee members as a voice of reason, and earned the respect of management throughout the American Hockey League through his efforts and input during collective bargaining negotiations,” said PHPA Executive Director Larry Landon.  “The countless contributions he made towards the PHPA were instrumental to our success, and I am thrilled the Executive Committee is recognizing the great work Peter did on behalf of the players for so many years.”

“This is an awesome, incredible honour, and I was honestly caught off guard when Larry called me to tell me I had been voted to receive this Award” said Peter Vandermeer.  “I’m thrilled to be grouped together with those who have received this award before me.  I always hoped the things I did and worked on would be of value and help out the PHPA.  Looking out for my teammates is what I tried to do on the ice and is what I tried to do off the ice in my role with the PHPA.  I’m so humbled to be receiving this award. It’s great to know the contributions I made towards the PHPA and on behalf of the players hasn’t been forgotten.  I’m looking forward to getting back to Orlando and telling some stories with the boys.”

Vandermeer continues to serve the game through mentoring young hockey players within the Eckville Minor Hockey Association in Central Alberta and works with a group of sports agents at Thunder Creek Professional Player Management to help cultivate young talent.  He is also the President of Vandermeer Ventures which distributes premium, seasoned firewood throughout Alberta.

Previous recipients of the Award include Doug Messier (2008), Don Cherry and Ron MacLean (2009), Arlo Goodwin (2010), Darcy Regier (2011), Ron Jaros (2012), Claude Julien (2013), Ted Nolan (2014), Karen Bender (2015), Rick Gorman and Phil Mazzone (2016), Brad Treliving (2017), Bob Riley (2018), and Glenn Patrick (2019).