The National Hockey League announced today the 32 team nominees for the 2023-24 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, including Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton. 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.”
"I am beyond grateful to be nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the third straight season,” said Laughton. “A lot of credit goes to my wife, Chloe, who's such a big part of this. Being a part of the Philadelphia and surrounding communities and to be a voice for various groups and organizations is something I take great pride in and believe is part of our responsibility to give back.”
Laughton, 29 (5/30/94), recently completed his 11th NHL season, all with the Flyers, and has gone above and beyond to lead the team by example both on and off the ice. He continued his commitment to inclusivity through LGBTQ+ programming as he served as an ambassador for the NHL’s You Can Play program and for Alphabet Sports Collective (a Canada-based, queer-led non-profit organization). He continued his Flyers Pride Initiative which saw more than 80 individuals from the LGBTQ+ community at 20 Flyers home games and 50-plus guests following the Flyers Pride Game on Jan. 9. Laughton also continued his heavy involvement with Ronald McDonald House Philadelphia by touring the new Flyers-themed playroom, that he and his wife, helped design last season and support financially for the stay of dozens of families which includes board, meals, and entertainment. Along with fellow teammates, he visited the Mazzoni Center, Philadelphia’s premier LGBTQ+ health and wellness center, hosted a special USO skate with 50-plus active duty servicemembers at the Flyers Training Center, and donated toys for Salvation Army’s Holiday Toy Drive.
Over the past three seasons, Laughton has helped to lead and inspire nearly $75,000 in donations to the LGBTQ+ community, along with Flyers Charities, and he and his wife, Chloe, have personally donated $20,000 to the causes they are most passionate about impacting hundreds of individuals directly.
On the ice, Laughton served as an assistant captain for his second straight season and was one of four players to skate in all 82 games this season. He led the Flyers and the NHL with a career-high eight shorthanded points. He also set career highs in assists (26), shorthanded assists (6), and penalty minutes (69) and tied his career high in game-winning goals (2) and power-play assists (4). The forward skated in his 600th career NHL game April 13 vs. New Jersey, became the all-time franchise leader in hits March 16 at Boston, set a career-high six-game assist streak (6a) from Feb. 12-25, a career-high seven-game point streak (4-6=10) from Feb. 10-25, scored his first career penalty shot goal Jan. 18 vs. Dallas and tallied his 200th career NHL point Oct. 12 at Columbus. He owns 238 points (95-143=238) in 601 career games with Philadelphia (2012-24) and was selected by the Flyers in the first round (20th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominees are selected by their respective NHL teams. The winner will be chosen by a committee of senior NHL executives led by Commissioner Gary Bettman, and, for the first time, former winners of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the historic NHL Foundation Player Award. In determining the winner, the selection committee will consider the criteria of a nominee’s inspiration, involvement, and impact to positively benefit his community.
The nominee with the most votes will be named the winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and receive a $25,000 donation to benefit a charity or charities of his choice. New this year, the winner will also be eligible to elect that his Club receive a grant from the NHL, up to $20,000, to help organize a special activation related to his humanitarian cause.
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.
