New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist a finalist for King Clancy Award

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 11: Hockey player Henrik Lundqvist attends the annual Charity Day hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC at Cantor Fitzgerald on September 11, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald) /

The NHL announced that New York Rangers goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist is one of three finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers is in the twilight of his career, but he is still recognized as one of the top goalies in the NHL and a sure fire Hall of Famer. The former Vezina Trophy winner may be adding another prestigious award to his resume, the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

The King Clancy Trophy is awarded to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.” Each NHL team nominates a player with the three finalists and the winner picked by NHL Commmissioner Gary Bettman and a panel of senior NHL executives.

Lundqvist is one of three finalists. Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Arizona Coyotes and Jason Zucker of the Minnesota Wild are the other finalists for the award. The winner will be announced at the annual NHL awards gala in Las Vegas on June 19.

While every Ranger fan knows about Lundqvist’s leadership qualities on the ice, his off-ice work is just as impressive. He created the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation in 2014, with a mission to “improve the lives of children and adults throughout the world through education and health services.” The Foundation has given grants of almost $1 million to its four partner organizations in New York and Sweden.

Lundqvist is also very involved in the Garden of Dreams along with the Hockey Fights Cancer and Hockey is for Everyone charities. According to the Rangers, Lundqvist has hosted over 1,200 children and their families at Madison Square Garden for Blueshirts games.

TAMPA, FL – FEBRUARY 10: The King Clancy Memorial Trophy reflects the #4 of Vincent Lecavalier at the ceremony retiring his jersey by the Tampa Bay Lightning prior to the game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Amalie Arena on February 10, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) /

The award

The King Clancy Memorial Trophy was first awarded in 1988 and it is named for Francis “King” Clancy, formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators who was acknowledged as a great humanitarian.

Adam Graves in the only other Ranger to win the award, receiving it in 1994 for his extensive community work and his efforts as chairman of the Family Dynamic Program that assists abused children.

The King Clancy Trophy would compliment the Vezina Trophy that Lundqvist won in 2012 along with his five All-Star game appearances. There’s not doubt that he will be a Hall of Famer after he retires. The winner also gets a $40,000 donation from the NHL to be presented to the charity of his choice.

The King Clancy Trophy replaced the Charlie Conacher Humanitarian Award that was retired in 1984. Ted Irvine was the one Ranger who won that award in 1975.

There has been a lot of discussion about Lundqvist’s future, especially when he decided to remain a Ranger during the rebuild. While the Rangers contractually cannot trade him without his permission, his desire to remain in New York is no doubt affected by his charitable work here in New York City. It’s clear that his commitment to that work is as strong as his fierce competitive spirit when he plays for the New York Rangers.

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