2023 Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award finalists announced

NEW YORK & TORONTO -- The National Hockey League (NHL) today announced Jason McCrimmon (Detroit, Michigan), Karen Ota-O'Brien (Coconut Creek, Florida), and Marty Richardson (Littleton, Colorado) have been named finalists for the 2023 Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award™ in the United States and Derek Klein (Shellbrook, Saskatchewan), Dean Smith (Halifax, Nova Scotia), and Saroya Tinker (Toronto, Ontario) have been named finalists for the 2023 Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai in Canada. Each award is given to an individual who - through the sport of hockey - has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society.

The two winners will be determined by a judging panel with weighted votes from Willie O'Ree, NHL and for the award in Canada, representatives from Hyundai Canada. A public fan vote will also help determine both winners. Fans 13 years of age and older are encouraged to start voting for the winners today until April 16 at 1 p.m. ET at NHL.com/OReeAward. Residents in the U.S. may only vote for any finalist in the U.S. and residents in Canada may only vote for any finalist in Canada. There is a limit of one vote per person per day and votes are subject to verification at any time.

Below are the finalists for the 2023 Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award and the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai, in alphabetical order:

2023 Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award Finalists

Jason McCrimmon (Detroit, Michigan) is the President and Founder of Detroit Ice Dreams Youth Hockey Association, a nonprofit youth hockey organization that minimizes the barriers that prevent underrepresented communities from access to ice hockey. In addition to on-ice programming, McCrimmon gives back through turkey giveaways, care packages for the homeless, adopt a family for Christmas, and provides backpacks filled with school supplies to children in need. McCrimmon is also the Associate Head Coach, GM, and Owner of the USPHL's Motor City Gamblers Junior A team. Motor City has sent numerous players to the collegiate level to further their career on and off the ice. As a retired player, Jason has played and excelled at every level, including amateur, collegiate, professional, and as a coach (2014 MWJHL coach of the year). He is also part of the NHLCA BIPOC Coaches Program as the Detroit Red Wings Youth Ambassador. Watch a video about McCrimmon's community impact here.

Karen Ota-O'Brien (Coconut Creek, Florida) is founder of the South Florida Women's Hockey Program, the Lucky Pucks Hockey Club and co-founder and current President of the Florida Women's Hockey League (FWHL). The FWHL is made up of women's ice hockey organizations from across Florida, where players of all skill levels come together to play the sport. After starting the Lucky Pucks Hockey Club with one team comprised of 12 women, Karen helped grow the FWHL to 14 teams with over 350 participants from across the state. The Lucky Pucks Club alone makes up 4 teams with over 80 participants in the FWHL. Another contributor to South Florida's female growth in hockey has been the Girls Night Out League that Ota-O'Brien created - weekly skates open to girls and women of all levels to play ice hockey. Karen has worked faithfully for almost three decades to establish women's hockey in Florida, creating a community where women of all ages and backgrounds feel safe, included and empowered on and off the ice. Watch a video about Ota-O'Brien's community impact here.

Marty Richardson (Littleton, Colorado) is founder of Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation, a Colorado non-profit dedicated to giving back to hockey families across the U.S. and Canada who have been impacted by hardship. Funds for families are raised through hockey tournaments, golf outings, and crowdsourcing organized by Dawg Nation. Richardson, known as "the Dawg Father" or "Cappy" to his community, has helped a wide variety of people facing hardships - cancer patients, burn victims, people who've lost limbs, people with traumatic brain injuries, people who have lost cognitive function, survivors of car crashes, and others. In 2022, the foundation donated $900,000 (USD) to hockey families going through tough times, and since 2011, the foundation has given more than $4 million to hockey players and families in need. The premier event for Dawg Nation is the Dawg Bowl - a hockey tournament that they have hosted every year since being founded. Within this event there's also a "Survivor Game" which brings together people from all walks of life who have gone through or are going through life-threatening ailments and life-changing circumstances. Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation brings people together and builds community while changing lives. Watch a video about Richardson's community impact here.

Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai Finalists

Derek Klein (Shellbrook, Saskatchewan) is CEO of Big River First Nation, a Cree Nation located 120km northwest of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Derek has worked tirelessly for over 25 years to promote and grow the game of hockey on the reservation by increasing support and funding for all Big River youth. Klein was instrumental in the development of the $42-million (CAD) Jim Neilson Sports Complex, which features an artificial ice arena, multiple sports fields and courts that uniquely serves Big River First Nation and surrounding First Nation and non-First Nation communities. Through Klein's work, more than 800 youth and surrounding communities in rural Saskatchewan now have ties to allies to help promote the sport that will have lasting impacts on future generations. Watch a video about Klein's community impact here.

Dean Smith (Halifax, Nova Scotia) is a Halifax lawyer with a passion for sharing his love for hockey by creating safe and welcoming spaces for everyone to enjoy the game. He served as Chair of Hockey Nova Scotia's Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, and now sits on the Board of Directors as their Chair of Diversity and Inclusion. Smith also serves as Secretary to the Black Ice Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame Society, a not-for-profit highlighting and celebrating Black achievement in sport. He has dedicated himself to creating systemic change in hockey and is the driving force behind Hockey Nova Scotia's Halifax-based Black Youth Ice Hockey Program, which strives to increase diversity in the game by introducing the sport to more than 30 young Black Nova Scotian's each season with several graduates of the program advancing to elite levels of the sport in the province. Smith also helped lead Hockey Nova Scotia's #StrongerTogether campaign with Recreation Facilities Association of Nova Scotia by partnering with arenas across the province and was an integral part of the organizing committee that launched the Halifax Hockey Summit. Watch a video about Smith's community impact here.

Saroya Tinker (Toronto, Ontario) is Executive Director of Black Girl Hockey Club Canada, founder of Saroya Strong and plays defense for the Toronto Six in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). In 2022, Tinker won the PHF's Denna Laing Award, awarded to the player most actively applying the core values of hockey to her community as well as growing and improving hockey culture. Last year, Tinker launched Black Girl Hockey Club Canada, which focuses on advocating for Black women in hockey and making hockey more inclusive for Black women and their families, friends, and allies. Tinker also runs Saroya Strong, a mentorship program for young Black women in sports. Watch a video about Tinker's community impact here.

The Canadian winner of the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai will be announced on Sportsnet during a 2023 Stanley Cup Final® game and the United States winner of the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award will be announced on June 26 during the NHL Awards™ ceremony. Both winners will receive a $25,000 USD prize and the four remaining finalists will each receive a $5,000 USD prize, each of which will be donated to a charity of their respective choice.

Last season, Noel Acton of Baltimore, Maryland, received $25,000 USD to donate to a charity of his choice as the recipient of the award, which was donated to the Tender Bridge Foundation. Acton is the founder of the Tender Bridge Foundation, a nonprofit that has supported more than 500 youth in East Baltimore for 20 years. Focused on getting kids off the street and into sports programs, Noel and his team provide all levels of assistance including equipment, transportation, and meals, anything to help the kids succeed.

The Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award honors former NHL forward Willie O'Ree, who on Jan. 18, 1958, became the first Black player to compete in the League. O'Ree, who lost sight in his right eye at a young age, went on to play professional hockey for 21 years. For more than two decades he has served as the NHL's Diversity Ambassador, traveling across North America to schools and hockey programs to share his story and experiences as well as to promote messages of inclusion, dedication, and confidence. O'Ree has used hockey as a platform to build character and teach life skills and has used his influence to foster positive values through the sport. In 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.