The NHL has announced that Anders Lee of the New York Islanders won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award is presented annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.
Among the charities Lee helps is the Jam Kancer in the Kan Foundation, which hosts events to raise money for the fight against cancer. Lee’s 2023 Jam Kancer in the Kan tournament raised more than $155,000, including a $30,000 contribution by Lee.
Lee has been a leader for the Islanders on the ice, wearing the “C” since 2018-19, but he has been a longtime role model off the ice. In 2017, Lee formed a special friendship with Fenov Pierre-Louis, a teenager who battled, and lost, his fight with cancer. Pierre-Louis’s positivity, strength, and courage inspired Lee to honor his friend by continuing the fight against cancer.
In 2017, Pierre-Louis introduced Lee to Jam Kancer in the Kan, a foundation committed to raising funds for families affected by cancer. After pausing due to COVID-19, Lee hosted his fourth Kancer Jam event in September 2023. The event raised more than $155,000 for cancer patients, including a personal contribution of $30,000 – and was attended by all of Lee’s Islanders teammates. His leadership and influence inspired NHL players and former teammates to host their own events, including Zach Bogosian, Ryan McDonagh, JT Miller, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Brendan Smith. To date, his efforts have helped Jam Kancer in the Kan raise more than $2.5 million.
As the winner, Lee will receive a $25,000 donation to benefit the charity or charities of his choice. He has been a King Clancy finalist six times in the past seven seasons. He’s the third Islanders player to win the award, joining Doug Weight (2011) and Bryan Trottier (1989).
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy was presented in 1988 by the NHL’s Board of Governors in honor of Frank “King” Clancy, a beloved figure in the League for decades as a player, referee, coach, manager, and goodwill ambassador. A three-time Stanley Cup champion and 1958 inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Clancy was voted as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players during the League’s Centennial Celebration in 2017.
