Portland, ME – It’s been a season to remember for Pirates’ rookie forward Nathan Gerbe.

Already named to the AHL All-Rookie team along with teammate Tim Kennedy, Gerbe was named today as the winner of the Dudley (Red) Garrett award as the AHL’s Outstanding Rookie this season.

Gerbe, 21, has averaged just a little less than a point per game (0.98), scoring 27 goals and 26 assists for 53 points in 54 games with the Pirates this season.

He leads all AHL rookies in goals (27) scored and ranked second among rookies with 11 power play goals. He was also named to the AHL All-Star Classic in Worcester this season, but was unable to take part in the event due to an injury this season.

Gerbe, 5-6, 165-pounds, made his NHL debut on Dec. 6 when he was recalled to the Buffalo Sabres. He’s tally one assist in 10 NHL games this season.

Last season, Gerbe was adding to his trophy room after winning the NCAA championship with Boston College he was named MVP of both the Frozen Four and the Hockey East tournament.

It looks like he’ll need a bigger room.

NOTES: Gerbe is only the second Portland Pirate to win this award. Jaroslav “Yogi” Svejkovsky was named outstanding rookie after the 1996-‘97 season after being drafted in the first round (17th overall) by the Washington Capitals in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

In his rookie season, he scored 66 points (38g, 28g) in 54 games with the Pirates. He also made his NHL debut in the same season and wasn’t a disappointment either as he scored 10 points (7g, 3a) in 19 games with the Capitals. Svejkovsky, in the season finale, recorded four goals in a game and is still the only rookie in Capitals franchise history to record four goals in a single game

Unfortunately, he was forced to retire after the 2001 season because of a post-concussion syndrome.