Who is AHL President and CEO David Andrews?

The 2014 American Hockey League All-Star game is just a few days away– just enough time to clear the air on a common misperception: There is a lazy tendency to call American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews the “Gary Bettman of the AHL” by virtue of their positions atop the two primary hockey circuits in North America.

This could be further from the truth, but not by much. An easy way to tell the two apart is by comparing their backgrounds.

VITALS

Gary Bettman
Born: United States

Hockey background: None

David Andrews
Born: Canada

Hockey background:

• All-conference MVP goaltender, Dalhousie University (Halifax) and University of British Columbia, 1960’s
• Four years of pro hockey in Holland
• Member, Canadian Amateur Hockey Association Developmental Council
• Hockey development coordinator, province of British Columbia 1975-80
• Assistant coach, Victoria Cougars (WHL), 1981
• Head coach and director of hockey operations, Victoria Cougars (WHL) 1982-84
• Head coach, Canadian National U-18 Team, 1982
• Edmonton Oilers Director of AHL Operations (Cape Breton Oilers) 1988-94
• 2005 Inductee, British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame
• 2006 Inductee, Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame
• 2010 Recipient, Lester Patrick Trophy
• It should be noted that while an assistant coach with the Victoria Cougars, the team won the Ed Chynoweth Cup, and while an executive with the Cape Breton Oilers, the team won the Calder Cup.

Former @UBCMHKY goalie and current AHL Pres/CEO David Andrews is proud to support the effort to #SaveUBCHockey pic.twitter.com/7UIxxViuMy

— AHL (@TheAHL) January 23, 2014

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

• Dave Andrews’ Blog at The Hockey News
• Jesse Spector of The Sporting News interviews David Andrews during the 2012 NHL labor dispute
• Pete Dougherty of the TimesUnion interviewes Andrews in late January as can be seen in the clip below:

Again, the notion that Andrews is somehow the Bettman of the AHL could be further from the truth, but not by much. On that note, Andrews can present the Calder Cup to the winning team every year without the chorus of boos that follow Bettman everywhere he goes.