True North Sports & Entertainment is proud to announce Mark Chipman is the recipient of the Thomas Ebright Award for his career contributions to the American Hockey League.

Mark Chipman joined the American Hockey League in 2001 when he represented six International Hockey League teams, including his own Manitoba Moose, in successful negotiations to bring the six franchises into the AHL prior to the 2001-02 season. Chipman played an influential role in the transaction and continued to be an influential AHL owner and governor for the next 10 seasons. He was the driving force behind construction of the state-of-the-art MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg, which hosted the 2006 AHL All-Star Classic and 2009 Calder Cup Finals. Under Chipman’s direction, the Moose were consistently among the AHL’s leaders in attendance and revenue.

The Thomas Ebright Award honours Tom Ebright, the former owner and governor of the Baltimore Skipjacks and Portland Pirates who passed away in 1997.

Chipman was previously honoured by the American Hockey League in 2005 when he received the James C. Hendy Award as the league’s top executive. He received the award for his part in the completion and opening of MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg, which became the new home of the Moose in November 2004, as well as the continued competitive success and strong public support displayed by the Manitoba Moose Hockey Club.

Chipman recently joined the National Hockey League’s board of governors when the purchase and relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers by True North Sports & Entertainment was approved by the NHL on June 21, 2011.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Chipman attended the University of North Dakota where he lettered in varsity football while earning an Honours B.A. in Economics and a Juris Doctorate Degree in Law.