New Jersey Devils: P.K. Subban Always Deserved King Clancy Recognition
By Nick Villano
New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban is an otherworldly personality. Off the ice, he does a ton of media appearances and represents the NHL in one of the best possible ways. He’s still not liked by a lot of people for some reason, but it’s not because of anything he’s really done. Maybe his on-ice play can be a little reckless, but in a way that causes a turnover instead of someone like Tom Wilson who’s recklessness causes injuries.
His charitable efforts are second to none. We overuse that saying, but really Subban is untouchable in the league when it comes to how much time and money he commits to charity.
New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban deserved to be a King Clancy nominee.
There’s his famous contribution to the Montreal Children’s Hospital back in 2015. He pledged to give $10 million to the hospital. Part of that donation was made to start a fund called “P.K.’s Helping Hands” which will continue to help families with sick children who need financial assistance. There is nothing in this world like helping sick kids. The financial commitment Subban made to these kids in a town he hasn’t worked in for years is amazing.
That donation was called the biggest philanthropic commitment by a sports figure in Canadian history. He could be done with his financial commitments to the world and focus on himself. Instead, he kept giving to different organizations.
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His organization the Blueline Buddies is an interesting one in today’s political climate. It buys a ticket for one member of the local police force and underprivileged youth to bridge the gap between these communities and police. Obviously, with the coronavirus pandemic, this specific use of the charity is on hold, but the Blueline Buddies have still helped communities in Newark.
It’s surprising that Subban never won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. NHL voting has always been strange, but the fact that he didn’t win it yes is kind of insane. The Devils nominated him last season, and he was a finalist alongside the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba and New York Rangers Henrik Lundqvist. He ended up losing to Dumba.
Subban always deserved to be recognized for his efforts to help those less privileged than him. This King Clancy nomination is a big deal. Sure, it’s not the Norris Trophy, but it is important to leave a legacy that goes beyond hockey. Helping kids in more ways than one is one way to do it. We hope that Subban wins the award because his contributions to his communities deserve that recognition. We love former Devil Kurt Gabriel also getting recognized for using his platform to lift up less privileged communities. However, we have to root for the hometown guy to win the King Clancy Trophy.