Darnell Nurse, Anders Lee and Mikael Backlund are the three finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2022-23.
Edmonton Oilers defender Darnell Nurse once again finds himself a Finalist for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded to the "player who best exemplifies leadership qualities and makes a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to the community." Nurse has done that for many years in the Edmonton area.
This past year Nurse partnered with The Chopped Leaf and Free Play for Kids for a fundraising initiative in March. The partnership raised over $20,000 that will go towards making sports and activities more accessable to children. Most of the children who rely on Free Play for Kids are newcomers, refugees or Indigenous youth. The focus on inclusion and diversity is important to hockey and humanity as a whole.
Nurse has been an ambassador for the Free Play for Kids since November of 2021. Since taking on that role he has developed the Darnell Nurse Young Leaders Scholarship. The scholarship allows Free Play youth to chase their post-secondary education dreams.
The other two finalists are the New York Islanders captain Anders Lee and Calgary Flames forward Mikael Backlund. The winner of the award will be given $25,000 to donate to the charity of their choice. The two other finalists will be awarded $5000 to the charity of their choice.
Last year Nurse was a finalist alongside Ryan Getzlaf and P.K. Subban, who ended up being awarded the trophy. This year's NHL Awards will be handed out on June 26th, 2023.