SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Coachella Valley Firebirds forward Tye Kartye has been voted the winner of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding rookie for the 2022-23 season.
The award was voted on by coaches, players and members of the media in each of the league’s 32 cities.
One of the offensive leaders on a first-year team that ranked second in the AHL with 48 wins and 103 points, Kartye recorded 28 goals and 29 assists to lead all league rookies with 57 points in 2022-23. He placed second among rookie forwards in plus/minus with a plus-17 rating, and was one of only eight rookies league-wide to skate in all 72 of his team’s games during the regular season. Seven of Kartye’s goals were game-winners, also tops among AHL rookies.
After recording just two points in his first 12 games, Kartye compiled 55 points over his final 60 contests, and led the entire league with 25 goals after the Christmas break. He was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for March after tallying 17 points in 15 games, including his first professional hat trick in a 6-3 win over Texas on Mar. 12, and earned a spot on the year-end AHL All-Rookie Team.
A 21-year-old native of Kingston, Ont., Kartye signed as a free agent with the Seattle Kraken on Mar. 1, 2022.
This award, which was first presented by the AHL in 1947, honors the late Dudley (Red) Garrett, a promising young player who lost his life during World War II while serving in the Royal Canadian Navy. Garrett split his only pro season, 1942-43, between the AHL’s Providence Reds and the NHL’s New York Rangers. Previous winners of the Red Garrett Award include Terry Sawchuk (1949), Jim Anderson (1955), Bill Sweeney (1958), Roger Crozier (1964), Gerry Desjardins (1968), Rick Middleton (1974), Darryl Sutter (1980), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Steve Thomas (1985), Ron Hextall (1986), Brett Hull (1987), Felix Potvin (1992), Corey Hirsch (1993), Darcy Tucker (1996), Daniel Briere (1998), Darren Haydar (2003), Nathan Gerbe (2009), Tyler Ennis (2010), Tyler Toffoli (2013), Matt Murray (2015), Mikko Rantanen (2016), Frank Vatrano (2016), Mason Appleton (2018), Alex Barre-Boulet (2019), Josh Norris (2020), Riley Damiani (2021) and Jack Quinn (2022).
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 32 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The winner of the 2022-23 Les Cunningham Award (most valuable player) will be announced Friday.
