On Monday, the National Hockey League announced its nominees for the annual King Clancy Memorial Trophy. Each name put forward comes from one of the league’s 31 teams, and was selected by the player’s respective team.
Awarded annually to the players who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community”, the winner will be chosen by a group of NHL executives led by Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and announced during the Conference Finals in September. The names of three finalists will be put forth in mid-August, before the eventual winner is named.
Five major areas of consideration for the chosen candidate include:
- Clear and measurable positive impact on the community
- Investment of time and resources
- Commitment to a particular cause or community
- Commitment to the League’s community initiatives
- Creativity of programming
- Use of influence; engagement of others
Amongst the 31 players nominated were Manitobans Travis Hamonic (St. Malo) and Jonathan Toews (Winnipeg), as well as Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler. Each of the three highlighted players served significant roles in community outreach, while often serving as a voice of reason during the season, both pre and post-COVID. Both Toews and Wheeler penned reflective letters on racism, following the recent uprisings in the United States.
The full list of King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominees is as follows:
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