ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway has been named the club’s 2019-20 nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the Capitals and National Hockey League announced today. The trophy is awarded annually “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
FROM CAPITALS MEDIA RELEASE
This season Hathaway launched Hath’s Heroes to provide tickets to Capitals games to local first responders. Postgame, Hathaway meets the ticket recipients and gives them a tour of the Capitals locker room. In addition to donating tickets, Hathaway visits local fire stations throughout the season and spends time with first responders. Hathaway’s great-grandfather, Garnet Mcelroy, was a firefighter in Winnipeg, and his experiences inspired Hathaway to launch Hath’s Heroes.
Through the Hath’s Heroes program, Hathaway and SuperFd Sports Performance and Nutrition provided nutritious meals to area first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hathaway launched a fundraiser and with the assistance of Capitals fans raised $22,787 to provide 3,962 meals to first responders and families affiliated with local nonprofits Kid Power and DC Central Kitchen.
In April, Hathaway surprised 12-year-old Potomac, Md., native and youth hockey player Alex Henderson with a surprise invite to a future Capitals game. As of April, Henderson and his mom, Suzi, had made more than 1,200 masks for first responders and nurses. Upon seeing a local news article about the Hendersons that mentioned their Capitals-themed masks were popular with recipients, Hathaway surprised the Hendersons on a video call with a thank you and invite to Capitals game once deemed safe by health authorities.
This season Hathaway also participated in the team’s Mental Health Awareness Talk Saves Lives panel, participating in a Q&A discussion on mental health, and in the team’s Courage Caps skate with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors families. Hathaway was also active in additional initiatives, including the Capitals Canine Calendar that raised funding for Homeward Trails, Wish Upon a Par event that raised funds for Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, and the team’s Hockey Fights Cancer initiatives.
The nominees were selected by their respective NHL teams. The winner will be chosen by a committee of senior NHL executives led by Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. The three finalists for the 2019-20 King Clancy Memorial Trophy will be announced in early August. The winner will be revealed during the 2020 Conference Finals, with the exact date, format and time to be determined.
Award History
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 Cupchampion 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.
