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The King Clancy Memorial Trophy

The King Clancy Memorial Trophy
14 Jan
2023
Not in Hall of Fame

First awarded in 1988, the King Clancy Memorial Award is given annually to the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice who has also made significant contributions to his community.

The award is named after King Clancy, who played for the original Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, was later a successful coach and executive, and was known for his philanthropy.

An award like this often is given to a player, usually a very good one, near the end of his career, though this should not be viewed as a “lifetime achievement award”, as players whit little to no philanthropic endeavors will not win.

The results are as follows:

There are currently 28 former Frank J. Selke Trophy winners who are Hockey Hall of Fame eligible, with 11 entering, yielding a percentage of 39.2.  

If we go by yearly winners, there is a small increase to 29 eligible years with 12 of them generating a Hockey Hall of Famer.  That is a 41.4 Percentage.

The following are the past players who have won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and are eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

1988:  Lanny McDonald, Calgary Flames, Right Wing.  10 Goals, 13 Assists, 23 Points, +2, 0.6 Point Shares.  

By this point, Lanny was still an effective leader but was not necessarily at a point where he was putting the puck in the net.  Still good in doing the unsung work of the game, McDonald only score 23 Points this season, but was a season away from retirement, but more importantly winning his first Stanley Cup.  Lanny won the inaugural award for his charitable work both in Calgary and Toronto, and is an excellent first choice for this award.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

1989:  Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders, Center.  17 Goals, 28 Assists, 45 Points, -7, 2.6 Point Shares.  

Like Lanny McDonald, Bryan Trottier was in clear decline at this point and was coming off his worst performance of the year, though he would have four more seasons in the NHL each of which would follow the pattern of being his worst offensive output.  Trottier was however a bona fide star earlier in his career with the Islanders Dynasty and was active in Special Olympics and Make-A-Wish Program.  

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

1990:  Kevin Lowe, Edmonton Oilers, Defenseman.  7 Goals, 26 Assists, 33 Points, +18, 6.0 Point Shares. 

Lowe was in the second half of his career, but was already a proven winner with four Stanley Cups and a fifth one this year.  The Defenseman was active in the community with Christmas-related charities.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

1991:  Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins, Defense.  21 Goals, 60 Assists, 81 Points, +11, 11.2 Point Shares.  

This is the first King Clancy winner who had a solid career after winning this award.  Bourque was only 31 and was still a Norris Trophy Winner and Stanley Cup Champion after this accolade.  Bourque was a community leader in Boston, and this year he served as the Honourable Chairman for Boston’s Floating Hospital.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

1995:  Joe Nieuwendyk, Calgary Flames, Center.  21 Goals, 29 Assists, 50 Points, +11, 5.5 Point Shares.  

Joe Nieuwendyk was in the prime of his career at this point and would soon move on to the Dallas Stars and win the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe, a performance that might have put him over the Hall of Fame hump.  The Forward, who was the Flames captain at the time, spearheaded the team’s humanitarian efforts in the community.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

2002:  Ron Francis, Carolina Hurricanes, Center.  27 Goals, 50 Assists, 77 Points, +4, 8.7 Point Shares.  

Francis also won his third Lady Byng this season, and won the Clancy based on his work with Duke’s Children’s Hospital.  He is one of the fev players to have over 1,700 career Points.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

2003:  Brendan Shanahan, Detroit Red Wings, Left Wing.  30 Goals, 38 Assists, 68 Points, +5, 7.9 Point Shares.  

Shanahan’s charitable endeavors featured the creation of a program that assisted in the purchase and installation of smoke detectors in low-income homes.  The power forward won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings and had 1,354 career Points.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

2004:  Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames, Right Wing.  41 Goals, 32 Assists, 73 Points, +21, 11.1 Point Shares.  

Iginla was in the prime of his career, capturing his second Rocket Richard award as the game’s leading goal scorer, and he was also named a Second Team All-Star.  Within the community, Iginla was at the center of the Flames’ philanthropic endeavors and he personally donated 1,000 dollars for every goal he scored.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

2012:  Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators, Right Wing.  27 Goals, 32 Assists, 59 Points, +16, 7.5 Point Shares.  

Alfredsson won the Calder in 1996, and the Mark Messier Leadership Award the year after this King Clancy win.  While he was a Senator (15 year), Alfredsson was a pillar of the local Ottawa community and was constant in his charitable work.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

2016:  Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks, Center.  11 Goals, 44 Assists, 55 Points, 0, 5.4 Point Shares.

The Canucks Captain, along with his brother, Daniel created the Sedin Foundation in 2014, and underwent plans for Clubhouse 36, an after-school program for at-risk kids.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

2018:  Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks, Left Wing.  23 Goals, 32 Assists, 55 Points, -21, 5.4 Point Shares.

See below!  Daniel was involved in the same charities that Henrik was, and you have to wonder how he was not a co-winner with his twin two years earlier.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

2018 (2):  Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks, Center.  3 Goals, 47 Assists, 50 Points, -22, 2.7 Point Shares.

Henrik was the co-winner with his twin brother, Daniel, and this is likely the only time that we will ever see a repeat winner.  The Sedins were in their final season, and their charitable donations across Vancouver and beyond made them legends.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

The following are the players who have won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy who are eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

1991:  Dave Taylor, Los Angeles Kings, Right Wing.  23 Goals, 30 Assists, 53 Points, +27, 4.6 Point Shares. 

Dave Taylor, who played his entire career with the Los Angeles Kings, would win his only individual trophies this season as not only did he capture the Clancy, he was also awarded the Bill Masterton.  Taylor was 35 when he won this accolade and had his best years behind him.  Still, his charitable work in SoCal, especially involving those with speech impediments earned this award.  

Eligible Since 1997.  Ranked #17 on Notinhalloffame.com.

1993:  Dave Poulin, Boston Bruins, Center.  16 Goals, 33 Assists, 49 Points, +29, 3.5 Point Shares.

Dave Poulin had a solid career and was one of the better defensive forwards in the game.  1993 was his last decent year and he would retire two years later.  In this season, Poulin was honored for his work as the Co-Chairman of the March of Dimes.

Eligible Since 1998.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.    

1994:  Adam Graves, New York Rangers, Left Wing.  52 Goals, 27 Assists, 79 Points, +27, 9.8 Point Shares.

To date, Adam Graves is the youngest winner of the King Clancy, and the 1993-94 Season was by far his most memorable.  This was the season where he would win in his second Stanley Cup, and was a major part of the win.  This is also the only season where he was named a post season All-Star.  Still, this was his peak, and a career worthy of Hall of Very Good, which should not detract from the work he did to win the Clancy.  Graves was the Celebrity Chairman of New York’s Dynamic Family Program, and he did other charitable work in NYC.

Eligible Since 2006.  Ranked #67 on Notinhalloffame.com.    

1996:  Kris King, Winnipeg Jets, Left Wing.  9 Goals, 11 Assists, 20 Points, -7, 0.0 Point Shares.  

The King Clancy Award would be the only NHL Award that fourteen-year NHL veteran, Kris King would win.  The rugged forward was a fan favorite but was never going to be considered a Hall of Famer, but he was to those he helped.  King was the Team Captain, and the man who spearheaded the Jets charities.

Eligible Since 2004.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.    

1997:  Trevor Linden, Vancouver Canucks, Center.  9 Goals, 31 Assists, 40 Points, -5, 3.3 Point Shares. 

Linden’s King Clancy win was the only major award that he won, but the ultra-popular player was one of the most beloved players in Vancouver’s history.  Linden won the Clancy by developing the “Captain’s Crew”, a program that brought underprivileged kids to his private suite to games.  

Eligible Since 2011.  Ranked #80 on Notinhalloffame.com.

1998:  Kelly Chase, St. Louis Blues, Right Wing.  4 Goals, 3 Assists, 7 Points, +10, -0.3 Point Shares. 

Not only is this the only NHL Award that Kelly Chase won, this is the only time he was remotely close.  Chase was a goon, who never had 100 career Points but off the ice, his charitable efforts made him a saint.  He was involved with the Gateway Project, which helped mentally challenged kids get involved with sports.

Eligible Since 2003.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.    

1999:  Rob Ray, Buffalo Sabres, Right Wing.  0 Goals, 4 Assists, 4 Points, -2, -0.3 Point Shares. 

Scoring only 4 Points in this campaign, like Kelly Chase, Rob Ray was a popular figure for his fisticuffs.  Ray, who would play a total of 900 NHL Games and would lead the NHL in Penalty Minutes twice, including his King Clancy Award winning season.  Despite his tough guy exterior, Ray’s charitable work included the March of Dimes, Walk America and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Eligible Since 2007.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.    

2000:  Curtis Joseph, Toronto Maple Leafs, Goalie.  36 Wins, 20 Losses, 7 Ties, 2.49 GAA, .915 Save Percentage, 13.4 Point Shares.

Joseph was the first Goalie to win the King Clancy, and this would be the only major award he won, though he was in the top ten for the Vezina six times, including a third-place finish this year.  He helped a lot of sick kids, starting “Cujo’s Kids”, placing ill children in luxury suites for Leafs home games, and he also developed a room at the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto that resembled the Leafs locker room.

Eligible Since 2012.  Ranked #16 on Notinhalloffame.com.

2001:  Shjon Podein, Colorado Avalabche, Right Wing.  15 Goals, 17 Assists, 32 Points, +7, 2.9 Point Shares.

Podein formed the Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation designed to help sick and underprivileged children.  The Avs would win the Stanley Cup this year

Eligible Since 2009.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

2006:  Olaf Kolzig, Washington Capitals, Goalie.  20 Wins, 28 Losses, 11 Ties/Overtime Losses, 3.53 GAA, .896, 11.0 Point Shares.

Kolzig became the second Goalie to win the King Clancy, and the veteran won based on his co-founding of “Athletes against Autism”, which was generated by discovering his own son had the affliction.

Eligible Since 2012.  Ranked #132 on Notinhalloffame.com.

2007:  Saku Koivu, Montreal Canadiens, Center.  22 Goals, 53 Assists, 75 Points, -21, 6.9 Point Shares.

Koivu won the Bill Masterton Trophy win in 2002 after coming back from cancer, and he started his own cancer foundation, which by this time had raised over 2.5 million dollars.

Eligible Since 2017.  Ranked #131 on Notinhalloffame.com.

2008:  Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning, Center.  40 Goals, 52 Assists, 92 Points, -17, 10.7 Point Shares.

Lecavalier was already a long time established offensive star for the Lightning, and was a Stanley Cup champ with the Bolts four years prior.  The Center had formed his own charitable foundation, which won him this award.

Eligible Since 2019.  Ranked #23 on Notinhalloffame.com.

2009:  Ethan Moreau, Edmonton Oilers, Left Wing.  14 Goals, 12 Assists, 26 Points, +0, 1.9 Point Shares.

Moreau was in the 13th of a 16-year career, 11 of which were as an Oiler.  The gritty player worked within the Edmonton’s inner city specifically with High Schools.

Eligible Since 2015.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

2010:  Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes, Right Wing.  18 Goals, 37 Assists, 55 Points, +3, 5.5 Point Shares. 

Doan was with the Coyotes for all of his 21 seasons (20 when the franchise was in Arizona), and he spearheaded most of the team’s charitable endeavors.  He won the Mark Messier Leadership Award two years later and had 972 career Points.  

Eligible Since 2013.  Ranked #58 on Notinhalloffame.com.

2011:  Doug Weight, New York Islanders, Center.  2 Goals, 7 Assists, 9 Points, -3, 0.5 Point Shares. 

Weight won his final year of a 20-season run, and his charity and philanthropy spread across six teams. 

Eligible Since 2013.  Ranked #63 on Notinhalloffame.com.

2014:  Andrew Ference, Edmonton Oilers, Defense.  3 Goals, 15 Assists, 18 Points, -18, 2.4 Point Shares. 

Ference was then the Oilers Team Captain, and was in charge of the November Project, designed to increase community involvement.  This was his third last season of a 16-year career.  

Eligible Since 2019.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

2015:  Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings, Left Wing.  17 Goals, 49 Assists, 66 Points, -6, 6.7 Point Shares. 

Zetterberg had long been active in the community of Detroit and was also raising money for relief efforts in Ethiopia, Guatemala and Nepal.  He played his entire career with Detroit, where he won a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe and scored 960 Points.

Eligible Since 2021.  Ranked #25 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The following are the players who have won the NHL King Clancy Trophy who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Hockey Hall of Fame: 

2021:  Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators, Goalie.  10 Wins, 12 Losses, 1 Tie/Overtime Loss, 2.84 GAA, .907 Save Percentage, 3.8 Point Shares.

Rinne was in his final season, where he established himself as one of the best players in the history of the young franchise of Nashville.  The Finnish Goalie won the Clancy for the co-creation (with Shea Weber) of the 365 Fund, raising money for cancer.  He also participated in the Predators’ “Feed the Frontline” initiative to supply meals to the frontline workers during COVID.

Eligible in 2024.

2022:  P.K. Subban, New Jersey Devils, Defense.  5 Goals, 17 Assists, 22 Points, -8, 3.4 Point Shares.

Subban concluded his NHL career this year, and while he was playing in New Jersey, his main work was in Montreal, where he raised $1 million is support of Le Spot, a mental health organization.  He also donated to Ukrainian relief, COVID relief and diversity and inclusion in hockey.

Eligible in 2025.

The following are the past players who have won the NHL King Clancy Trophy and are eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame, and are still active.

2013:  Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins, Center.  10 Goals, 22 Assists, 32 Points, +24, 12.6 Point Shares, 4.3 Defensive Point Shares.

Bergeron formed Patrice’s Pals, a charity that brings hospital patients and sick kids to watch Bruins games in luxury suites.  Bergeron won five Frank J. Selke trophies.

37 Years Old, Playing for the Boston Bruins.

2017:  Nick Foligno, Columbus Blue Jackets, Left Wing.  26 Goals, 25 Assists, 51 Points, -4, 5.9 Point Shares.

Foligno donated over $1 million to children’s hospitals in the Columbus and Boston area, and created a foundation in honor of his mother in 2009.

35 Years Old, Playing for the Boston Bruins.

2019:  Jason Zucker, Minnesota Wild, Left Wing.  21 Goals, 21 Assists, 42 Points, -9, 4.1 Point Shares.

Zucker began a foundation the year before that raised over $1 million for the Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital.

30 Years Old, Playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

2020:  Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild, Defense.  6 Goals, 18 Assists, 24 Points, -7, 3.6 Point Shares.

Dumba was a founding member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and he helped to spearhead the “Rebuild Minnesota” project to help business impacted by the George Floyd protests.  He also raised funds for COVID-19 relief.

28 Years Old, Playing for the Minnesota Wild.

The King Clancy Memorial Award can generate players of all skill level, but their class is always high.  This may not be the best Hall of Fame metric, but it does measure heart.

Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] .

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