Hockey players are more than just athletes. They are deservedly well-compensated for the work they do, and in turn, they give back in myriad ways to the communities they play for.
The Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg has been awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his leadership on and off the ice and for his contributions to the Detroit community and humanitarian endeavors around the world.
Here’s the release.
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Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg is this year’s recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice and who has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.”
The Red Wings captain rebounded from an injury-shortened 2013-14 campaign to lead his club in assists (49) and points (66). Zetterberg capped a productive campaign with four points in the final two games of the regular season with a postseason bid on the line, rallying the Red Wings to a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a franchise-record 24th consecutive season — the longest active such streak in North American professional sports.
Honored in 2013 with the NHL Foundation Player Award for outstanding charitable and community work, Zetterberg and his wife, Emma, give back to the Metro Detroit community through numerous initiatives as well as international causes in Ethiopia, Guatemala and Nepal. Zetterberg hosts children’s charities, including Metro Detroit area children’s hospitals and mentoring nonprofits, at each Red Wings home game during the regular season in the Zetterberg Foundation Suite. Zetterberg also funds a high school hockey scholarship each year and underwrites the Hockey Weekly High School All-Star Banquet.
As the team spokesman for the Red Wings’ annual Smoke Detector Collection since 2006, Zetterberg personally matches all donations. In that time, the program has distributed 20,684 units to benefit low-income and physically-disabled residents who could otherwise not afford or be able to install a smoke detector in their home.
Zetterberg and his wife built the Chige Primary School in Kemba, Ethiopia, in cooperation with Action Aid Ethiopia. The school consists of four classrooms and gives 225 children in Kemba access to a primary school education. Due to the success of Chige Primary School, the construction of the Belta Telo Middle School began in 2013 and was completed in 2014. The school provides 700 students with a secondary education.
In May 2014, the Zetterberg Foundation broke ground on a Water Project in the village of Kemba. The Water Project, to be completed in December 2015, will supply 3,000 people of the village with clean, drinkable water for life.
He also supports microloan programs in Ethiopia and Guatemala to provide women with the opportunity to start their own businesses and work themselves out of poverty. In addition, the Zetterberg Foundation has financed and built six houses for former debt slaves in Nepal.
King Clancy Memorial Trophy Winners Since 1990
Year Winner Team
2015 Henrik Zetterberg Detroit
2014 Andrew Ference Edmonton
2013 Patrice Bergeron Boston
2012 Daniel Alfredsson Ottawa
2011 Doug Weight NY Islanders
2010 Shane Doan Phoenix
2009 Ethan Moreau Edmonton
2008 Vincent Lecavalier Tampa Bay
2007 Saku Koivu Montreal
2006 Olaf Kolzig Washington
2004 Jarome Iginla Calgary
2003 Brendan Shanahan Detroit
2002 Ron Francis Carolina
2001 Shjon Podein Colorado
2000 Curtis Joseph Toronto
1999 Rob Ray Buffalo
1998 Kelly Chase St. Louis
1997 Trevor Linden Vancouver
1996 Kris King Winnipeg
1995 Joe Nieuwendyk Calgary
1994 Adam Graves NY Rangers
1993 Dave Poulin Boston
1992 Ray Bourque Boston
1991 Dave Taylor Los Angeles
1990 Kevin Lowe Edmonton
