WILKES-BARRE, PA -- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are proud to announce that former Harvard defenseman Ryan Lannon has been named the team's winner of the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Northeast Pennsylvania community during the 2007-08 season.

A third-year pro out of Harvard, Lannon has been the Penguins' most visible face in the community since arriving in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton prior to the 2005-06 season.  He received his first nomination for the American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year following that campaign.

This year, the Grafton, Massachusetts native served as the point man for the Penguins Christmas, a program started by Matt Carkner, who won the 2006-07 American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year Award.  The program provides holiday gifts for children at the Kirby Family House, a facility which houses families getting back on their feet following hardships.  Lannon coordinated the event, which saw each Penguins player ‘adopt' a child at the facility by purchasing three needs (winter clothing, shoes, etc) and three wants (games, toys, etc) for each.

Lannon was also one of the most active participants in the Penguins school reading program, visited several libraries to stress the importance of picking up a book, and passed out camouflaged Penguins hats to soldiers during the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans week in February.

Lannon also took part in efforts to raise awareness and money for the American Cancer Society, which included getting pink highlights in his hair for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

In recognition of his efforts, Lannon will be presented with an etched crystal trophy during an on-ice presentation prior to an upcoming Penguins home game.

Lannon is now one of 29 finalists for the AHL's 2007-08 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the AHL in the coming weeks