Blümel Breaks Records and Bags the Marshall
Matěj Blümel has officially etched his name in the AHL history books, capturing the 2024-25 Willie Marshall Award as the league’s top goal-scorer. The 24-year-old forward lit the lamp 39 times in 67 games for the Texas Stars, setting a new franchise record and topping the 30-goal mark for the second consecutive season.
Blümel didn’t just lead the league in goals — he led the league in volume too, pacing all skaters with 274 shots on goal, the most in an AHL season in the past 12 years. He also racked up 11 power-play goals and two shorthanded tallies, showcasing his scoring ability in all situations. With 72 total points, Blümel finished just behind Andrew Poturalski in the overall scoring race.
Signed by the Dallas Stars as a free agent in June 2022, the Tabor, Czechia native also made appearances at the NHL level this season, notching one goal across seven games with the parent club.
The Willie Marshall Award, established in 2004, honors the AHL’s all-time leader in goals, assists, points, and games played. Blümel now joins a prestigious list of former winners, including Mike Cammalleri, Tyler Johnson, Frank Vatrano, and Carter Verhaeghe.
Other historical AHL goal-scoring leaders over the decades include Bryan Hextall (1937), Fred Glover (1951), Yvon Lambert (1973), Jody Gage (1988), and Brad Smyth (1996, 2001).
For Blümel and the Stars, the focus now shifts to the postseason, where his scoring touch could be the X-factor. But no matter how far Texas goes in the Calder Cup Playoffs, Blümel’s 2024-25 campaign will be remembered as one of the league’s most dynamic offensive performances in recent memory.
