The Professional Hockey Players’ Association is pleased to announce that Andrew Joudrey has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the PHPA Executive Director’s Honoring the Past Award.

The Award was initiated in 2018 by PHPA Executive Director, Larry Landon, where a former PHPA Member of the Executive Director’s choosing is invited to attend the PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives to speak about their experiences with the PHPA.

Joudrey played seven seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 2007 to 2014 split between Hershey and Springfield and attended the PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives following all seven seasons.  He was elected to the PHPA Executive Committee in 2011 where he served in the role until 2014 when he left North America to continue his professional career in Europe. 

During his involvement with the PHPA, Joudrey was part of the PHPA Negotiating Committee which successfully ratified a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the AHL in 2015.  He also played a key role in issues such as changes to the AHL Playoff Pool, enhancements to medical coverage and health benefits programs for players, navigating through uncertainly involving the Central Hockey League including its consolidation with the ECHL, among many others.

“In my rookie year with Hershey, our Player Rep couldn’t attend the PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives, so I was asked to go and it turned out to be a great experience,” said Joudrey.  “It was neat meeting different players from across the AHL, ECHL, and Central Hockey League, and being pretty green to everything at the time, I took in as much as possible. Being on the Executive was also a great experience.  When I was first elected, I mainly listened to the experience and leadership in the room from guys like Peter Vandermeer.  It was very rewarding to be involved with significant issues that affected players across the different leagues.” 

Prior to his professional career, the native of Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada played four seasons at the University of Madison-Wisconsin where he helped the team capture the 2006 NCAA National Championship during his Junior year.  He was named Captain the following season. 

Drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Joudrey went on to win two Calder Cup Championships with the Hershey Bears in 2009 and 2010.  He won the Bears’ AHL Man of the Year Award in 2011 for his outstanding community efforts and won the Award a second time in 2014 while with the Springfield Falcons. He played one game in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2012.

Joudrey currently serves as President of the USHL’s Madison Capitols where he oversees all business operations, scheduling, ticketing, community partnerships, and communication with the League. 

“Andrew was a dedicated Player Representative for a number of years and brought an important element of leadership to the Executive Committee when dealing with significant issues that impacted our entire Membership,” said PHPA Executive Director, Larry Landon.  “I am proud of how well Andrew has done throughout his post-hockey career and look forward to recognizing the many contributions he made to the PHPA during his tenure.”

Joudrey is looking forward to being back at the PHPA Annual Meeting this June and imparting some words of wisdom to today’s Player Representatives based on his experiences in the game.  “I feel for guys who miss out on opportunities or wait until the end of their careers to get involved.  All players should be aware of the programs made available to them through the PHPA.  The experience of being in a boardroom, working on budgets, and using the lessons I learned through my involvement with the PHPA was directly attributable to securing my role with the Madison Capitals.  This award means a ton to me and I am truly appreciative for the recognition and invitation to return to the PHPA Annual Meeting.”