By: Gregory Thibeau | Follow me on Twitter\X @OriginalTebow
The Les Cunningham Award has been awarded to Michael DiPietro as the American Hockey League’s most valuable player for the 2025–26 season. The award is voted on by coaches, players, and media across all 32 AHL markets.
DiPietro, 26, becomes the first member of the Providence Bruins to win the league MVP award since Randy Robitaille in 1998–99 and just the ninth goaltender in league history to receive the honor.
In 45 appearances this season, DiPietro posted a 34-8-1 record while leading the league in goals-against average (1.91), save percentage (.930), and total wins (34). He added three shutouts and three assists, and finished among the league leaders in workload, ranking fifth in minutes played, shots faced, and saves.
His performance follows a second consecutive season as the recipient of the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award, given to the league’s top goaltender. DiPietro improved on his 2024–25 numbers across the board, lowering his goals-against average from 2.05 to 1.91 and increasing his save percentage from .927 to .930 while setting a new career high in wins.
DiPietro opened the season with seven straight victories and later went 14-1-0 between mid-January and mid-March. Over the full season, he allowed two goals or fewer in 33 of his 45 appearances, providing consistent stability in net as Providence secured the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the league’s top regular-season team.
DiPietro is the first AHL goaltender since Dustin Wolf to win both the Baz Bastien Memorial Award and the Les Cunningham Award. Wolf captured the league’s top goaltender honors in 2021–22 and 2022–23 and was named MVP in 2022–23.
Speaking in an interview with Jordan Conn of the Providence Bruins media team following his second consecutive Baz Bastien Award, DiPietro credited his preparation and support system for his consistency.
“It was a goal of mine heading into the season, and it feels really good to accomplish that goal,” DiPietro said. “I think with Mike Dunham, he’s been a big resource for me, whether that’s on the ice or off the ice, just keeping a level head. In a sport where so much is out of your control, setting that goal and attacking each day without getting too far ahead of myself was a big priority.”
Through seven AHL seasons with Providence, Abbotsford, and Utica, DiPietro has compiled a 118-50-14 record with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. The Windsor, Ontario native was selected by Vancouver in the third round of the 2017 National Hockey League Entry Draft and has made four career appearances in the NHL, including one with Boston this season after being acquired by the Bruins organization in October 2022 via a trade with Vancouver.
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