Chris Kreider Nominated for King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Kreider continues to rack up individual honors.

As the New York Rangers and their fans continue to recover from a debilitating Game 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the NHL released some uplifting news today, bestowing more recognition and honor upon Chris Kreider in light of his outstanding season.

The league announced that Kreider is the Rangers’ nominee this season for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

The winner will receive a donation of $25,000 to benefit the charity or charities of his choice, while the two runner-up finalists will receive a donation of $5,000. The winner will be announced at the end-of-season NHL Awards, and will be chosen by a selection committee of senior NHL executives, based on the following criteria:

  • Clear and measurable positive impact on the community
  • Investment of time and resources
  • Commitment to a particular cause or community
  • Commitment to the League’s community initiatives
  • Creativity of programming
  • Use of influence; engagement of others/

Kreider, who tied Adam Graves’s franchise record for the second-most goals in a season (52) and set the new franchise record for most power-play goals in a season (26), has already taken home a couple of team awards this season: the prestigious Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, and the inaugural Rod Gilbert “Mr. Ranger” Award. In addition, he is the Rangers’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”

The King Clancy nomination is Kreider’s second straight. Even if he doesn’t win the league-wide award, it is another great honor for him. Besides Kreider’s obvious leadership role on the team, he is consistently involved with charitable organizations such as MSG’s Garden of Dreams Foundation, so it’s great to see him getting recognition for his impact off the ice in addition to his more visible one on it.