Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award

The Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award is an annual award established by the National Hockey League is presented to the person who best utilizes hockey as a platform to help people build character and develop important life skills for a more positive family experience.  The award is named in honor of Willie O'Ree who broke the color barrier in the NHL.  It was first awarded at the conclusion of the 2017-18 playing season. The award is presented at the annual NHL Awards show.  The award is voted upon by hockey fans after the nomination list is reduced to the finalists.

Honorees

Note chosen recipient in bold.

2018 Finalists

• Debbie Bland - co-founder/builder of the Etobicoke Dolphins Girls Hockey League
• Darcy Haugan - coach of the Humboldt Broncos who was killed along with 15 other members of the team on April 6, 2018.  He was also honored with the establishment of the Darcy Haugan Memorial North American Coach of the Year Award.
• Neal Henderson - of Upper Marlboro, Maryland who runs the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club which is the oldest minority hockey league in North America. Henderson would be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019 for his contributions to the game.

The surviving members of the bus crash and Haugan's family accepted the award on behalf of Darcy Haugan.

2019 Finalists

• Anthony Benavides - of Detroit, Michigan, director of the Clark Park Recreation Center
• Tammi Lynch - of Ellicott City, Maryland, founder of Players Against Hate
• Rico Phillips - of Flint, Michigan, founder of the Flint Inner-City Youth Hockey Program.

2020 Winner

• Dampy Brar - of Calgary, Alberta, mentors, coaches and teaches hockey to kids and started an initiative with his partner Lali Toor, called Apna Hockey. The program provides support to South Asian and other ethnic players.

2021 Winner

• Kevin Hodgson - of Calgary, Alberta, executive director of HEROS (Hockey Education Reaching Out Society), which empowers at-risk youth, and its offshoot organization SuperHEROS, which provides boys and girls living with physical and cognitive challenges an inclusive and safe hockey environment.

2022 Winner

• Noel Acton - of Baltimore, Maryland, founder of the Tender Bridge Charity Organization for at risk youth.

2023 USA Winner

• Jason McCrimmon - of Detroit, Michigan, founder of the Detroit Ice Dreams Hockey Program and Owner of the Motor City Gamblers Junior hockey team.

2023 CAN Winner

• Dean Smith - of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Prior Chair of Hockey Nova Scotia's Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, who now sits on the Board of Directors as their Chair of Diversity and Inclusion.