The Lake Erie Monsters are proud to announce that left wing J.D. Corbin has been named the team’s winner of the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Cleveland community during the 2008-09 season.

Despite missing the majority of this season with a broken finger that required surgery, Corbin has been active in the greater Cleveland area, appearing in more than a dozen community-related events since the beginning of the year.

He has ventured throughout Northeast Ohio on the Monsters Respect Tour, speaking to students about the importance of respect while stressing the role that having a solid education has had in his life. Corbin has traveled to local hockey rinks to help coach youth hockey players during on-ice sessions, despite the fact his hand was covered with a cast. Although he has spent plenty of time in the hospital this year with his own ailments, his injury also did not deter him from visiting patients at St. John West Shore Hospital.

Corbin also was a participant in the first annual Tip-A-Monster event, which saw the Monsters trade in their jerseys for aprons, helping to raise more than $4,300 for a non-profit group in Northeast Ohio that serves children with cancer and their families. During the event, Corbin served food, poured drinks, cleaned up spills and signed autographs for the 200 guests. Corbin has also appeared at the team’s Tour with the Monsters events, which has the Monsters take part in public practices at local rinks, as well as skating with fans and signing autographs.

In recognition of his efforts, Corbin will be presented with an etched crystal trophy during an on-ice presentation prior to an upcoming Monsters home game.

Corbin is now one of 29 finalists for the AHL’s 2008-09 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall 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 in the coming weeks.

Individual tickets for upcoming Lake Erie Monsters games, starting at just $10 per seat per game, as well as season ticket plans and group tickets, are on sale now by calling (216) 420-0000 or visiting LakeErieMonsters.com.

The Lake Erie Monsters are part of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena organization and also owned by a group led by Cavaliers Majority Owner and Quicken Loans Founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert.