P.K. Subban of the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday won the King Clancy Trophy, presented annually to the player or players who best exemplify leadership qualities on and off the ice and have made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in their community.
“To receive it as a New Jersey Devil is pretty special,” Subban said. “I’m very excited to be one of those players, part of such a rich history of the organization. To be able to have this award is pretty special and an honor, to accept it on my family’s behalf as well.”
Subban won the award for the first time after he was a finalist for a third straight season and fourth time overall. He has been committed to racial and social justice, underserved youth, COVID-19 relief and youth hockey. In 2014, while playing for the Montreal Canadiens, he created the P.K. Subban Foundation and in September 2015 he pledged $10 million over seven years to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Subban also founded Blueline Buddies in 2017 while playing for the Nashville Predators, a program that aims to bridge the gap between law enforcement and local youth. He hosted a virtual meet-and-greet with participants prior to every Devils home game this season.
“I know that whenever you do charity work, when you do work in your community, you don’t do it for these types of accolades,” Subban said. “But when I look back at all the finalists and the players who have won this award it’s a pretty special group. I think when you have a platform in the NHL, I’ve been very lucky to have one, when you use it the right way you can have an impact.
“I think that all the finalists this year and previous years, and all the players that have won it, have done a great job, so I’m just very, very excited to be a part of that group and continue to do the work.”
In March, Subban donated $1 million in support of Le Spot, a mental health clinic in Montreal, and matched donations up to $100,000 to help Ukrainian cancer patients who arrived for life-saving treatments. A finalist for the fourth time (2017-18, 2019-20, 2020-21), Subban was named co-chair for the Player Inclusion Committee in 2020 under the Executive Inclusion Council, which is comprised of NHL owners, former players, and team and League executives and aims to provide solutions that positively impact underrepresented groups in the game.
Subban was presented the award by Pekka Rinne, who won last season as the goalie for the Predators. Rinne, a former teammate of Subban’s in Nashville, retired from the NHL after last season.
Chosen by a committee of senior NHL executives led by Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, Subban received a $25,000 donation from the National Hockey League Foundation to benefit a charity or charities of his choice.
Retired Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, the two runners-up, each received a $5,000 donation.
“Lastly and probably the most important, I want to thank my family for the support they’ve given me throughout my career, helping me with the things I like to do off the ice,” Subban said. “Specifically my sister, Natasha, my whole team at the P.K. Subban Foundation, for the work that they do. Nowadays, they do a lot of the work when I can’t be there or I can’t do something. I owe them a lot of credit for where our foundation is and this award is shared with them. Thank you to my whole team for everything you do.”
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