Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
The American Hockey League develops so much more than on-ice talent.
People in front offices across the league’s 32-team map are honing their own skills as well. Whether it’s accounting, marketing, sales, executive roles, or more, these people help to put on a show in each city 36 nights each season. And among the most significant tests for any AHL club is hosting the annual AHL All-Star Classic.
The San Jose Barracuda are hosting the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU, and nearly two years have gone into planning and bringing the two-day event to the Bay Area.
But when tragedy struck the Barracuda last month, they had to pull together even more.
Frank Torres, the team’s vice president of business operations, passed away suddenly on Jan. 15 at age 38. A 16-year veteran of AHL front offices, Torres had come to San Jose to help the Barracuda as they opened Tech CU Arena last season. Now the San Jose front office had a friend and colleague to mourn as well as flagship league event to complete.
“It’s a unique time for us with the passing of Frank,” said team president Jon Gustafson. “Our staff has done an amazing job pulling together and getting ready for this event.”
Torres did considerable work to help the Barracuda pull off this endeavor, as well as making inroads in a competitive sports market.
“First and foremost, he was our leader,” Gustafson said. “His staff adored him, and he was a very well-respected leader in our organization. He had done great work in pushing our AHL business forward, and we were definitely starting to see the fruits of his labor. He had started to bring in his own staff. We were definitely going in the right direction.”
When the Barracuda came to town, they played out of SAP Center, the building that houses the parent San Jose Sharks. But SAP Center holds more than 17,000 for hockey, and the Barracuda found themselves looking for a facility to call their own. Tech CU Arena opened in 2022 as an addition to Sharks Ice at San Jose, the organization’s practice facility and a bustling community rink complex. It provides the Barracuda with a more intimate setting, an ability to tailor the game experience to their crowd, and more scheduling options.
The Barracuda share one of the U.S.’s largest markets with the Sharks as well as NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS and NWSL teams in the region, along with several collegiate athletic programs. That’s a lot of…
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