Yesterday, P.K. Subban was named the winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for humanitarian services. People who don’t know his history of philanthropy might be quite surprised. But, then, Subban is a surprising guy.
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Subban Is Not to Everyone’s Taste
P.K. Subban is not to everyone’s taste. His reputation suggests that Subban is loud, unwilling, or unable to turn down his own volume, and constantly running afoul of defenders of hockey’s honor. He’s criticized for not choosing his words from the sort of list of sound bytes that most hockey players learn to repeat interview after interview. Hockey speak, as it were. That’s not Subban’s way.
Subban can be bombastic, confident, and a constant showman. But for all the critique that Subbas gets as a person or a player, you can’t fault him for not putting his money where his mouth is. He’s made a ton of money as a hockey player; and, he’s given a ton of money away. Millions of dollars, actually.
The P.K. Subban Foundation Has Donated Millions of Dollars
The P.K. Subban Foundation was created in 2014 when Subban was a member of the Montreal Canadiens. He pledged to give $10 million over seven years to Montreal Children’s Hospital. And, he delivered. In 2016, Subban also created an organization called the Blueline Buddies. Its goal was to close the gap between law enforcement and youth.
This past season, before every New Jersey Devils’ home game, Subban hosted a virtual meet-and-greet with fans. In March 2022, Subban donated $1 million to Le Spot, a mental health clinic in Montreal. Recently, he also matched donations of up to $100,000 to help Ukrainian cancer patients. He keeps on giving.
Subban Is Deserving of the King Clancey Award
When you read the criteria for winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, it fits what Subban does perfectly. The award honors players who have become leaders on and off the ice and who’ve made significant humanitarian contributions. Subban certainly is an NHL player who’s worthy of this honor.
This season was the fourth time overall Subban had been nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy; in fact, it was the third year in a row he’d been named a finalist. Given his list of charitable work, it’s easy to see why he won.
In Accepting the Award, Subban Noted the Special Group of Other Recipients
Subban said when accepting the award: “I know that whenever you do charity work, when you do work in your community, you don’t do it for these types of accolades.”
He added, “But when I look back at all the finalists and the players who have won this award it’s a pretty special group. I think when you have a platform in the NHL, I’ve been very lucky to have one, when you use it the right way you can have an impact. I think that all the finalists this year and previous years, and all the players that have won it, have done a great job, so I’m just very, very excited to be a part of that group and continue to do the work.”
Congratulations to Subban for his well-deserved award.
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