New Jersey Devils: P.K. Subban Deservingly Wins King Clancy Memorial Trophy

P.K. Subban is one of the good dudes in the league. He’s famous for his charitable exploits, which includes extremely localized work in every city he plays in. The second he jumps to a new team, he starts his charity moves almost immediately. Subban is someone who’s worked hard to get the reputation he has, and that’s why he deserves to be the first player in New Jersey Devils history to win the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

Between the Blueline Buddies, the P.K. Subban Foundation, and his many, many contributions both monetary and time-wise to children’s hospitals in both New Jersey and Montreal, it would be hard to find any player in sports who does as much as Subban.

P.K. Subban wins the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

Subban had a reputation prior to his tenure with the Devils that likely took him out of contention for this award. However, his reputation was completely changed during his time with the Devils. Honestly, Subban didn’t deserve the reputation he was given, but the truth always seem to find the light both good and bad. A large percentage of Subban’s light is good.

The King Clancy Trophy is voted on by senior NHL executives led by commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly as reported by NHL.com. The award is given 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 obviously been a tough few years with the pandemic, and that’s impacted every season Subban has been on the Devils. Still, he finds a way to make a major impact to the community. He doesn’t do it for the cameras or to get some clout within an organization, Subban does it because he genuinely wants to do good.

He was the team’s King Clancy representative every season he was with the Devils, but he was only nominated once before that. It shows the changing reputation for Subban. He came to a team that appreciated his philanthropy as much as his on-ice contributions.

It’s likely this was the last time that we will see Subban in a New Jersey Devils uniform. He’s an unrestricted free agent, and the Devils basically had all the hard goodbyes with him at the trade deadline and in exit interviews. It would be hard to think they bring him back after all that, but would it be the worst thing? Having a veteran who loves hanging out with the younger crowd and is willing to take them under their wing is something this team needs.

Either way, Subban is the perfect representation of this award, and he’s the perfect representation of the Devils. They want to be a part of this community in Newark, and Subban made that happen. We’d love to have him back, but if this is the last thing he does as a member of this organization, it’s a fitting end.