RELEASE: Blackhawks announce eighth annual Eddie Olczyk Award

The Chicago Blackhawks, in partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, announced today that the application process for the eighth annual Eddie Olczyk Award has opened. This scholarship supports youth hockey players and teams in Illinois who may not have the means to play at a competitive level.

Since its inception in 2011, the Eddie Olczyk Award has distributed more than $450,000 in grants, raised through Blackhawks youth hockey summer camps, to 212 individuals and eight organizations. Those who wish to be considered for this season's award must submit their application by Wednesday, May 1, 2019. Eligible applicants include:
Individuals and families in need of assistance for participation in an Illinois-sanctioned team or organization
Sanctioned teams in need of assistance for tournament expenses
Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois (AHAI) organizations in need of assistance to run programs which increase the participation in and quality of youth hockey

For more information or to submit an application, please visit
blackhawks.com/eoa
.

The award is named in honor of U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Eddie Olczyk, who serves as a head instructor for Blackhawks youth hockey camps, for his dedication to the development and growth of youth hockey in Illinois. A native of Palos Heights, Ill., Olczyk began his career as an 18-year-old with his hometown Blackhawks in 1984-85 after being chosen with the third overall selection of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played 16 seasons in the NHL with Chicago, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Winnipeg, the New York Rangers and Los Angeles, winning a Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1994. He was also a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team. Olczyk is now in his 13th season as the television analyst for Blackhawks hockey on NBC Sports Chicago and WGN-TV and also serves as the lead television analyst for NHL national broadcasts.