Islanders' Anders Lee Awarded King Clancy Trophy

New York Islanders captain Anders Lee is the 2023-24 recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, presented “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

Lee has been a leader for the Islanders on the ice, wearing the “C” since 2018-19, but he has been a longtime role model off the ice. In 2017, Lee formed a special friendship with Fenov Pierre-Louis, a teenager who battled, and lost, his fight with cancer. Pierre-Louis’s positivity, strength, and courage inspired Lee to honor his friend by continuing the fight against cancer.

In 2017, Pierre-Louis introduced Lee to Jam Kancer in the Kan, a foundation committed to raising funds for families affected by cancer. After pausing due to COVID-19, Lee hosted his fourth Kancer Jam event in September 2023. The event raised more than $155,000 for cancer patients, including a personal contribution of $30,000 – and was attended by all of Lee’s Islanders teammates. His leadership and influence inspired NHL players and former teammates to host their own events, including Zach Bogosian, Ryan McDonagh, JT Miller, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Brendan Smith. To date, his efforts have helped Jam Kancer in the Kan raise more than $2.5 million.

In 2018, soon after Pierre-Louis passed away, Lee founded, and continues to help fund, the ‘Fenov Scholars’ college scholarship which is awarded to graduating high school students who provide help and sympathy to someone battling cancer. To date, 24 scholarships have been awarded, providing nearly $50,000 of financial support to deserving students.

For more than five years, Lee has been hosting families impacted by cancer at every home game. Each season he invests approximately $10,000 to host, providing families with tickets, gifting, and meet and greets postgame. And Lee’s efforts extend beyond the arena. Every holiday season, Lee funds a gifting initiative for cancer families dealing with financial hardships. The annual campaign has become so well-known within the Islanders community that fans also contribute and purchase gifts, extending the reach of his program to help even more families. To date, he has donated more than $100,000 to support families during the holidays.

Lee maintains a personal connection with many of the people he meets, regularly checking in on them with phone calls or text messages. Lee credits his relationship with Pierre-Louis for teaching him how personal connections can have a long-lasting positive impact.

Lee will receive a $25,000 donation from the National Hockey League to benefit a charity or charities of his choice. New this year, Lee is also eligible to elect that the New York Islanders receive a grant from the NHL, up to $20,000, to help organize a special activation related to his humanitarian cause.

Each NHL team nominated a player for the King Clancy Trophy. The winner was chosen by a selection committee consisting of Commissioner Gary Bettman and, for the first time, former winners of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the historic NHL Foundation Player Award.

For a list of past King Clancy Memorial Trophy winners, click here.