Carter Bancks Named Comets Man of the Year

by Brendan Burke

The Utica Comets are proud to announce that Carter Bancks has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Utica community during the 2015-16 season.

In his second season with the Comets, Bancks has continued to show his dedication to working with children in the Mohawk Valley and specifically in the city of Utica. He organized a mentorship program in which he regularly spoke to at-risk students about studying, working hard and making positive life choices. The Comets most active player in the community, Bancks often speaks at school assemblies to encourage students on their path to success.

Bancks has been a leader both on and off the ice as well as an active participant in the mentorship program with players from the Utica Jr. Comets Elite teams. Along with his teammates he has served food at the Utica Rescue Mission, purchased and delivered presents to families around the holidays, and read books to children at local libraries. He has often uses his time away from the game to get even more involved in the Utica community.

Carter Bancks is now one of 30 finalists for the AHL’s 2015-16 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the American Hockey League at a later date.