In celebration of the Flyers Alumni Association's 40th anniversary, the Alumni have created and donated a new annual award to be added to the existing team awards: The Flyers Alumni Community Leadership Award.
Each year, the Alumni's board of directors will internally vote to select a player on the current season's Flyers roster who takes an active role in supporting the Delaware Valley community and local charities. The recipient will become the Flyers organization's nominee that season for the NHL's King Clancy Memorial Trophy. Additionally, the Flyers Alumni Association will make a donation to a charity chosen by the team Community Leadership Award winner.
Scott Laughton is the winner of the 2023-24 Flyers Alumni Community Leadership Award. The Flyers Alumni will make a $5,000 donation to a charity of Laughton's choice.
"The Flyers Alumni are honored to present Scott Laughton with this season's Flyers Alumni Community Leadership Award. The Alumni Board believes he is the perfect inaugural winner," said Flyers Alumni Association president Brad Marsh.
"Not only does Scott represent all of the best qualities of what it means to be a Flyer on the ice, he is also tireless, year round, in supporting the Delaware Valley community. 'Laughts' has now been the Flyers' nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in four straight years. Put simply, he's extremely deserving."
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is presented annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. The winner is chosen by a special panel of representatives from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) and the NHL Broadcasters' Association.
"It's pretty special to me to be the one who was picked by the Alumni," Laughton said. "The Alumni do so many awesome things in the community, and Marshy is a great leader. The Alumni are the guys who kind of defined what it means to be a Flyer."
Laughton said that, when he was a young player in the organization, he had teammates who helped him get involved in their own activities in the community.
"Players like Simmer [Wayne Simmonds], Jake [Voracek], and Brandon Manning were all guys who encouraged and helped me in that regard. I remember that one of the first things I got involved with was the Salvation Army Toy Drive. When you're a young player, you're focused on making the team, and fitting in with the room. That kind of thing. So to have some guys who are established on the team set an example and get you involved, that's where it starts," Laughton said.
"The community part of it, to me, is about giving something back. It's about showing you support the community that gives us support. And we get something back, too. You meet amazing people who are making a real difference. And it's just a good feeling to feel like you have some part in it."
One of the ways that Laughton gives back to the teammates and Alumni who impressed upon him the value of community involvement: He pays it forward to younger teammates by helping and inspiring them to participate in the local community in whatever areas are of their own interests.
Scott and wife Chloe are actively involved in a variety of community programs, both in conjunction with the Flyers organization and on their own. Scott is the Flyers' longtime Hockey is For Everyone ambassador and ambassador for NHL’s You Can Play initiative. Each year, he takes a central role in supporting the Flyers annual Pride Initiative in the LGBTQ+ community. In his native Canada, Laughton is an ambassador for Alphabet Sports Collective.
The Laughtons are also deeply involved with Ronald McDonald House. Scott has served as a RMHC Companion, donated to the Guest Chef and Adopt a Room programs. This endeavor lines up well with the Flyers Alumni Association's own ongoing support of the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey.
Scott's other in-kind and monetary donations and personal time have included private donations for cancer treatments, funeral services, the Salvation Army’s Holiday Toy Drive, The USO, veterans cause and contributing to several Amazon wish lists of school teachers in the Philadelphia area in order to alleviate classroom expenses that would otherwise have to be funded out-of-pocket.
