Through many personal trials and tribulations, Joe McMahon has always looked out for others before himself, which included every player who walked through the Islanders' doors.

COMMACK, NY -- Longtime New York Islanders equipment manager Joe McMahon was a special honoree at the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame's induction ceremony on Sunday. 

He received the George Young Award for his tireless efforts with the Lee & Aidan McMahon Foundation. 

This award is given to the person who "has best exemplified the high ideals that George Young displayed," and his work caught the eye of Jason Bartow, the Hall of Fame's chairman. 

"[Jason] had mentioned that this event was coming up and that there was a category for someone who has had an impact in the community," McMahon told The Hockey News. "He said, 'Joe, I think you'd be perfect for that,'" and the nomination became official after a month-long vetting process.

Bartow will call on McMahon to sharpen his son's hockey skates, which opened the door to the latter telling stories across his 19-year career with the team. 

"[Joe] and I started talking about the Islanders, started talking about players and times he was coaching back and forth," Bartow said. "And he extended into talking about his charity, his family, and what his charity means. My business became one of his sponsors for his golf outing, and he's just a kind and genuine human being. You can't help but want to join up with him." 

Our Stefen Rosner covered the event this past year. 

The aforementioned golf outing is the charity's signature event, which raises money for the American Liver Foundation and Hospice Care Network. It began in the face of tragedy, as McMahon lost his mother, Lee, to a brain tumor in 1996, followed by his 13-month-old son, Aidan, in 2002 to liver complications. 

"My brother Michael was the one who said, 'You know, I think we should do something,' after my mom had passed away," McMahon said. "After my son passed away, it gained a lot of momentum. I remember the first year, I think we raised like $8,000, and we thought that was a tremendous amount of money, and now we're consistently raising over $100,000 a year." 

The foundation has raised over $2 million over 23 years of the event. In addition to raising money through registration and memorabilia auctions, the event also serves as a reunion for some of his former teammates, referring to his connections as a "brotherhood."

McMahon cites Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour as a main inspiration, stating, "Coach treated me like a son, and he instilled some core values in my life such as integrity, honesty, loyalty, things like that." 

He continues to be in close contact with legends such as Denis Potvin, Bobby Nystrom, and John Tonelli. 

McMahon also had high marks for Stanley Cup champion defenseman Brent Sutter, who is set to be inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame in January. 

"He was a player that I could remember coming to work every single day, ready to go practice, ready to go, and a tremendous leader and tremendous competitor," McMahon said. 

One of McMahon's former players was Mathieu Schneider, who spent parts of two seasons with the Islanders. Ahead of his induction into the Hall of Fame, the defenseman was glad to share the day with him. 

"Tremendous human being," Schneider said. "The trainers on 90 percent of the team. They're the unsung heroes. No matter what's going on on the ice, they have to show up every day with a smile on their face, take care of the guys, and no one did it better than Joey."

McMahon was part of several memorable moments after the dynasty ended. He was there for the Easter Epic, the team's upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1993, and Shawn Bates' penalty shot. 

However, at the end of the day, his willingness to put others before himself is what makes him special to those who know him. 

"It has become my life's work to give back to others," McMahon said. "My good friend Pat LaFontaine says, 'It's not about the goals, it's about the assists,' and I love helping as many people as I can."

We need more people like Joe McMahon.