Former Vancouver Canucks forward Jayson Megna has been named the 2026 recipient of the Bruce Boudreau award.

The award, established in 2025, celebrates the most outstanding American Hockey League player not playing on an NHL contract, recognizing their leadership, consistency, and impact on the league.

Megna, the captain of the AHL’s Colorado Eagles for the past two seasons, recently completed his 14th season in the AHL and tied a career-highs in goals with 26. He helped lead the Eagles to a second-place finish in the AHL’s Pacific Division and won the AHL all-star challenge’s most valuable player award back in February.

Megna was in the top-30 in the AHL for plus-minus at +21, finished with a shooting percentage of 19.4 per cent and was tied for third in first goals with seven. The 36-year-old recorded 51 points for the second consecutive season and has now reached 20-plus goals in the AHL for three different seasons.

“What an honour,” said Megna of receiving the award. “Incredibly fortunate to get to do what I do for a living, and it’s been a long road and with the support of so many people that I don’t even have time to thank.”

Undrafted out of the USHL’s Cedar Rapids Roughriders, Megna played one year at University of Nebraska- Omaha before signing a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins after attending their development camp in 2012.

He would play a total of 206 NHL games across ten seasons with Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers, Vancouver, Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins. He played a total of 59 games over the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons with the Canucks and recorded eight points. He went on to eventually get his name etched on the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. He would then be presented with a career fork in the road after years of moving around to follow his NHL dreams.

“I had to take a step back and think about my family and what I was missing at home,” said Megna, who has a wife and a five year-old daughter now. “Ultimately, that’s why I decided to sign an American League contract. I had some offers to go on an NHL contract, but we love Colorado so much.

It’s the greatest place, and we really are proud to live here and play here.”

His 409 points in 618 career AHL games rank him 209th all-time in league scoring. Megna also spent time in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, Hartford Wolf Pack, Utica Comets, Hershey Bears and Providence Bruins.

The Florida-born forward grew up playing in Chicago and has tried to emulate the role models he saw when he entered the league, naming Warren Peters, Trevor Smith and Tom Kostopolous as his mentors when he started. The little things are where he focuses as he attempts to set up his younger teammates for on-ice success by emphasizing the off-ice habits.

“Checking in with guys, making sure they’re all set at home,” he said. “They have all their finances squared away. That makes a big difference and helps them feel more comfortable at the rink when their life’s sorted at home.”

Jayson Megna has been named the 2026 Bruce Boudreau Award Winner!

This award recognizes the most outstanding player on an AHL contract. pic.twitter.com/Q0OSwN9dFu

— x-Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 30, 2026

Runners-up for 2026 included: Bridgeport Islanders forward Chris Terry, Springfield Thunderbird forward Chris Wagner and Texas Stars forward Curtis McKenzie.

About the Bruce Boudreau Award:

The Bruce Boudreau Award was conceived by Stephen Meserve, who has covered the AHL’s Texas Stars since 2009 with 100 Degree Hockey. Its namesake, Bruce Boudreau, spent 11 seasons as a player in the AHL, appearing in 695 regular and postseason games, before coaching in the league for nine years. He won the Calder Cup as a player with Adirondack in 1992 and as a coach with Hershey in 2006.

The award spotlights those who make a lasting impact in the league as true AHL players, upholding the league’s competitive spirit and professional standard year after year.

“They teach the young prospects how to be pros,” said Boudreau. “Most of it is from the players and not from the coach. The older, experienced American League player, in the end, is what usually makes winners out of all those young players.”

NEVER STOP CHASING YOUR DREAMS!
In his ninth season in @TheAHL with @griffinshockey, forward Dominik Shine has earned his first NHL contract!!#AHL #GoGRG #LGRW pic.twitter.com/wdaTHt4JnV

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) January 27, 2025

The award’s inaugural year winner, Grand Rapids’ Dominik Shine, earned a mid-season NHL deal last year and played 18 total games with Detroit this season, scoring three goals. Meanwhile, he also led the Griffins to the AHL’s second-best record as captain.

The 2026 voting panel included Tony Androckitis (AHL), Ben Birnell (Utica), Mark Divver (Providence), Ben Lypka (Abbotsford), Stephen Meserve (Texas) and Elaine Shircliff (Grand Rapids).

For more information, visit boudreauaward.com.

Goldstream News Gazette

Message History

Delivery option(s)