The NHL has announced that Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund, New York Islanders left winger Anders Lee and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse have been named finalists for the 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
The award is given to players who have a positive impact on the community, whether it be using their influence for good or participating in community and team initiatives.
P.K. Subban won the King Clancy award for 2022, with none of the three finalists this year having won it before.
Backlund is a supporter of the ALS Society of Alberta, a group close to the Flames organization. According to the NHL, Backlund’s wife lost her mother to the disease when Frida Backlund was just 19. Chris Snow, the Flames assistant GM, has been battling ALS for the past four years. The NHL said Backlund has raised more than $400,000 for the ALS Society of Alberta, which works to help out families affected by the disease.
Lee is an ambassador for Jam Kancer in the Kan, a group helping people and their families battling cancer. With Lee’s help, the organization has raised over $2 million, with help from NHL players. Lee hosts events known as “Kancer Jams” in honor of Fenov Pierre-Louis, a young cancer patient Lee befriended before their death in 2018.
Nurse was also a finalist for the event last year thanks to his work with Free Play for Kids and the Right to Play. Both groups aim to help get kids into sports, with a focus on marginalized children. In 2021, Nurse created the Darnell Nurse Excellence Scholarship to give two scholarships to students looking to pursue post-secondary education. Nurse also helped local food banks and other healthcare organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The winner will be presented at the 2023 NHL Awards in Nashville on June 28, with the selected player receiving a $25,000 donation to a charity or charities of their choice. The other two will receive $5,000 donations.
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