On January 26, 2015, after being retired for almost five years, Frederic Cassivi will become the youngest player ever inducted into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame. The 39-year-old netminder is a two-time Calder Cup Champion and a recipient of the Calder Cup Playoff Most Valuable Player award.

Other notable career achievements include being one of only seven goaltenders in AHL history to play at least 500 regular season games. Cassivi ranks fifth in all-time AHL wins and is tied for ninth in all-time AHL shutouts. He finished his AHL career with a 232-190-47 record, 2.83 GAA and 24 shutouts. Despite his impressive statistics, the soon-to-be Hall of Famer was still surprised when he heard the news.

“David Andrews, the President of the AHL, called me to let me know that I was going to be inducted,” Cassivi said. “There’s no doubt I was shocked in the beginning when I heard the news. You know, it’s not something that I thought would happen, and if it would happen, I didn’t think it would happen so soon after my retirement. I was surprised, but at the same time you think about it and it’s a great recognition from the league to have that happen to you.”

The Sorel, Quebec native played in eight leagues with 15 different teams throughout the course of his career, but spent most of his 15 professional seasons playing in the AHL. The Ottawa Senators picked Cassivi in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, and his AHL career started during the 1995-96 season with the Prince Edward Island Senators.

He spent a few years in the minors before signing as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche in 1999, playing mostly for their minor league affiliate the Hershey Bears. He was selected to represent the Bears at the AHL All-Star Classic in 2001.

In 2002, he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers and made his first appearance in the NHL. Later that season, he helped the Chicago Wolves win the Calder Cup in their first year as members of the AHL. He played for the Wolves for two more seasons before joining the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks.

In the summer of 2005, Cassivi signed with the Washington Capitals, which brought him back to Hershey. He held a 34-19-6 record during the regular season and followed with a 16-5 playoff run.

“There’s so many memories,” Cassivi said of his time playing in the AHL. “But the one that I will always remember the most, as far as a playoff run, is the Calder Cup championship with the Hershey Bears. Living in the Hershey area made it even more special for me. The team was able to gel at the right time; it was just a great bunch of players and a good coaching staff, and great fan support.”

Cassivi noted one playoff game in particular that stood out to him during that run. It was game seven of the Conference Finals against the Portland Pirates, which went into overtime.

“I think we waited eight or nine days between the two games,” Cassivi said. “Anaheim had sent down Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Dustin Penner to play against us for that game seven, and we ended up winning in overtime on a goal by Eric Fehr, so that was a great moment.”

The Bears went on to win the Calder Cup Finals in game six against the Milwaukee Admirals. Cassivi was awarded the Calder Cup Playoff MVP award, the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, for his strong play in net for the Bears during the series.

“It was a good feeling,” Cassivi said. “Our home building in Hershey actually played the game on the big screen and the place was packed. Just coming back around two or three in the morning off of the plane and having people at the airport waiting for us made it even more exciting. The players that were on that team and all the players I played with on other teams… when I think about my induction, it has a lot to do with my teammates and my coaches who all had a big influence on me as a player and as a person.”

Cassivi played two more seasons in Hershey, and his AHL career ended after the 2007-08 season when the Bears made a return trip to the Calder Cup Finals.

In addition to contributing to teams on the ice, Cassivi also helped off of the ice – serving as a Professional Hockey Players’ Association Player Representative. Cassivi said he learned about health benefits from PHPA Executive Director, Larry Landon, and the other leaders in the union, but it was his job to educate his teammates and serve as a link between the players and the management.

“I was always interested with the business side of things in hockey,” Cassivi said. “As a player, the one thing I could do was learn a little bit more about the PHPA and AHL, and learn about our 401k plan, health insurance plan and all the stipulations. I think I learned a lot from that, and I learned a lot by going to annual Player Representatives meetings and conferences, and I think that helped me for after hockey as well.”

In 2009-10, Cassivi played his final professional season with the Vienna Capitals in the Austrian Hockey League. Although, during an emergency situation, he did play one game for the Reading Royals of the ECHL in 2012-13, but Cassivi said that doesn’t really count.

He currently resides in Harrisburg, Pa. and works as a financial advisor.  He said he enjoys living and working in the Hershey area.

“Hershey’s a small community and they’re very focused on their hockey team,” Cassivi said. “So it makes it special to be a hockey player here. Being a financial advisor is different from playing hockey, but at some point you have to be ready and willing to move to something else and I felt like I was ready. I enjoy what I do now.”

In addition to working as a financial advisor, Cassivi still finds time for hockey. He plays in a men’s league and coaches his son’s youth team.

“Hockey’s always gonna be part of me,” Cassivi said. “I still play now, but I don’t play goalie, I play defense. I coach my son and his team and help out with our youth hockey organization. I think it’s always going to be a part of me. I like to get on the ice. I’m still involved, and I probably will be for a long time.”

The American Hockey League Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony is scheduled to take place in conjunction with the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic, which is being hosted by the Utica Comets. The other Class of 2015 inductees includes James C. Hendy, Bronco Horvath and Art Stratton. Cassivi plans to attend the ceremony with his family.