Bears Greats Doug Gibson, Dave Fenyves, and Ross Fitzpatrick to be Inducted into AHL Hall of Fame

The American Hockey League announced today the four people selected for induction into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame as the Class of 2027. Three former Hershey Bears players – Doug Gibson, Dave Fenyves, and Ross Fitzpatrick – along with Tom Mitchell have been honored by the AHL Hall of Fame Selection Committee as the latest group of enshrinees.

The induction of the Class of 2027 will take place as part of the festivities at the 2027 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Rectifi, to be hosted by the Cleveland Monsters. The American Hockey League Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 8, 2027.

Doug Gibson
After breaking into the AHL with the Boston Braves and twice earning the Les Cunningham Award as the most valuable player with the Rochester Americans, Doug Gibson achieved Calder Cup glory as a member of the Hershey Bears. The forward joined the Chocolate and White for the 1977-78 campaign, where he finished second in team scoring and led the club with 35 assists. The following year, Gibson was sidelined for much of the season with a knee injury, but he saved his greatest act for his final season with Hershey in 1979-80, when the center and captain was named player-coach after head coach Gary Green was promoted to the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Despite finishing below .500, Gibson was selected as the recipient of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding coach, and he then led the Bears in postseason scoring with 12 goals and 21 points as Hershey defeated Syracuse, New Haven, and New Brunswick to win the 1980 Calder Cup.

Dave Fenyves
One season after captaining the Rochester Americans to the Calder Cup, Dave Fenyves did the same for Hershey, leading the team to a remarkable 50-win campaign in the 1987-88 regular season, and then a perfect 12-0 sweep through the postseason as the Bears earned their seventh championship. The defender patrolled the Hershey blue line for parts of six seasons from 1987-93 while also seeing time in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, and throughout his tenure with Hershey he held or shared the captaincy; his 359 games played rank 34th in Bears history, while his 174 assists rank 27th, and his 217 points rank fourth in team history among defensemen. Fenyves received back-to-back selections to the AHL First All-Star Team in 1987-88 and 1988-89, claiming the Eddie Shore Award as the league’s outstanding defenseman in each year. Fenyves was previously inducted into the Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017.

Ross Fitzpatrick
A high-scoring forward who produced one of only six 50-goal campaigns in franchise history, Ross Fitzpatrick was instrumental in two trips to the Calder Cup Finals (1986, 1988), and helped the club capture the championship in 1988 after tying for the postseason lead with 11 goals in the playoffs. Fitzpatrick’s 186 goals as a Bear rank ninth in team history, while his 372 points rank 16th, and his 186 assists rank 22nd; he is the only player in club history with three seasons of 45 or more goals. Fitzpatrick twice received selections to the AHL Second All-Star Team in 1985-86 and 1989-90. Fitzpatrick was previously inducted into the Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019.

Formed in 2006 to recognize, honor and celebrate individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions in the American Hockey League, the AHL Hall of Fame is housed online at AHLHallofFame.com and is accessible to fans worldwide as part of the AHL Internet Network.

In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and staff of all 32 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of NHL players each year are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 130 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers.