SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The American Hockey League announced today that Springfield Thunderbirds forward Adam Gaudette is the 2023-24 recipient of the Willie Marshall Award, given to the league's leading goal scorer. 

Gaudette scored a league-best 44 goals in 67 games for the Thunderbirds, surpassing his previous career high of 27 goals set last season and tied for the fourth-most by a Springfield skater in 80 seasons of AHL hockey in the city. He becomes the first Thunderbirds skater ever to claim the award and the first Springfield AHL skater to lead the league in goal-scoring since Michel Picard of the 1990-91 Springfield Indians.

Gaudette added 27 assists to finish third in the AHL scoring race with 71 points and was voted to the AHL’s First All-Star Team this season, marking the first time a Thunderbirds player earned such recognition. The sixth-year pro from Braintree, Mass., has 77 goals and 57 assists in 138 AHL games, along with 27 goals and 43 assists in 220 career games in the NHL. Gaudette was originally a fifth-round pick by Vancouver in the 2015 NHL Draft and joined the St. Louis Blues organization via trade from Toronto on Feb. 17, 2023.

The AHL’s goal-scoring award was established in 2004 to honor Willie Marshall, the AHL’s all-time leader in goals, assists, points, and games played; past winners include Mike Cammalleri (2005), Alexandre Giroux (2009, ’10), Tyler Johnson (2013), Frank Vatrano (2016), Carter Verhaeghe (2019) and Stefan Noesen (2022). Other previous yearly goal-scoring leaders include Bryan Hextall (1937), Lou Trudel (1942, ’45), Fred Glover (1951), Dunc Fisher (1958), Jimmy Anderson (1961, ’64), Yvon Lambert (1973), Gordie Clark (1980), Paul Gardner (1985, ’86), Jody Gage (1988) and Brad Smyth (1996, 2001).

Fans can reserve seats for Thunderbirds’ hockey action in the 2024-25 season with a ticket membership by calling (413)-739-GOAL (4625) or visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.