Former Hitmen player Brent Dodginghorse named Canadian winner of Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award

Folks, there are many ways that you can make an impact in your community through the game of hockey. For some, their exploits on the ice are what make a difference. For others, it’s what they do off the ice that really matters.

With that in mind, let’s talk about Brent Dodginghorse, who was named the Canadian winner of the 2024-25 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award on Monday night.

Via the NHL, here’s a quick summary of why Dodginghorse received the award, which was selected through a combination of a fan vote, and input from Hyundai representatives, NHL executives, and O’Ree himself:

Dodginghorse is the co-founder of the DH Ranch which has an educational program to promote greater respect, understanding, and appreciation for fellow hockey players regardless of race, ethnicity, or ability. The program has been taken by nearly 4,000 people since 2019. Tsuut’ina, which has two traditional meanings: ‘the beaver people’ and also ‘many people,’ uses the spirit of the horse to teach students about Indigenous culture and history, encouraging greater harmony among teammates, classmates, friends and neighbors. Click here to watch a feature on Dodginghorse.

Dodginghorse was a heck of a hockey player in his youth. A member of the Tsuut’ina Nation, he worked his way into high-end hockey and played a couple seasons with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers and briefly with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers before joining the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen during the 1997-98 season.

Dodginghorse was a big part of two really successful seasons for the Hitmen, including the franchise’s first big moment in 1999 when they won the Western Hockey League’s Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions and represented the WHL in the Memorial Cup tournament. The first-ever Hitmen goal in the Memorial Cup was scored by Dodginghorse.

He went pro the following season, spending a year in the Flames system with the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs. Dodginghorse struggled a bit in pro hockey due to injuries – he played a crash-and-bang style that was tough to maintain – and he eventually hung up his skates and left his playing days behind.

Years after his retirement, Dodginghorse was inspired to start the DH Ranch Diversity Program after his daughter experienced racism while she played hockey. “Having a conversation about diversity is so important, not only in the sports world, but in the work world and the school world,” said Dodginghorse to the WHL site last month.

The Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award was first established in 2018, honouring the NHL’s first Black player, and aiming to recognize individuals who are improving lives and strengthening their communities through the game of hockey. For the first few seasons one award was given, but since 2023 separate awards have been given to community heroes in Canada and the United States. Dodginghorse is the third Calgary-area winner of the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award, following Dampy Brar (2020) and Kevin Hodgson (2021).