P.K. Subban was named a finalist for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
When the New Jersey Devils traded with the Nashville Predators for defenseman P.K. Subban, they thought they were getting one of the best blueliners in the NHL. The team thought they were getting a big hitter, a goal scorer with a wicked shot, and one who was taking the right chances on the ice. They didn’t get that, instead seeing a player who looked like a shell of himself in a new system.
Still, Subban’s contributions off the ice were second to none. That’s why he was an obvious candidate for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
It’s actually almost unfathomable that Subban hasn’t won this award before. The year that Subban famously donated $10 million to a Montreal children’s hospital, Henrik Sedin won the award. His number one contribution? He gave $1.5 million to a children’s hospital near Vancouver.
We’re not trying to compare charitable efforts; these were both wonderful moves by these players. However, when a $1.5 million donation along with some after-school programs gets you the award, Subban’s over-the-top moves have to win him something.
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Maybe the NHL writers were waiting until Subban was no longer in the Vezina Trophy conversation before giving him a nomination for this award. The explanation for who wins this award is “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
It’s possible writers were wrongly assessing Subban’s impact on the ice. His leadership qualities were always muted on the ice. Now, he’s forced to be a leader on the ice with an extremely young Devils team.
Still, his contributions off the ice are unmatched. Besides his massive contribution to the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Subban’s list of charitable efforts include donating $50,000 to the family of George Floyd, the Blueline Buddies program which brings together inner-city kids and local policemen to attend an NHL game, the Subban Defence League which is a summer hockey camp for kids to “learn to play the P.K. way”, along with the rest of his efforts with the P.K. Subban Foundation.
It’s clear that Subban deserves this. He’s done so much selflessly across the hockey world, and now he’s acting as an ambassador for the league while the Devils season is on pause. No offense to Henrik Lundqvist and Matt Dumba, but this should be Subban’s award to win this year.