Subban Named Finalist for King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Already one of the 31 NHL players nominated for the 2018 King Clancy Memorial Trophy last week, P.K. Subban is now in the Top Three.
On Wednesday, Subban was named a finalist for the trophy, 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." Originally nominated by the Predators organization, Subban's advancement comes courtesy of a committee of senior NHL executives, led by Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.
According to the NHL, the selection committee applies the following criteria in determining the finalists and winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy: Investment of time and resources, commitment to a particular cause or community, creativity of programming, use of influence, engagement of others and measurement of impact.
Suffice to say, Subban and his initiatives check each and every one of those boxes.

"I'm very excited about that; just happy to represent the team and it's a huge honor," Subban said of the nomination. "I'm very proud and very happy of everything we've been able to accomplish."
Subban's work with children's hospitals in Montreal and Nashville is well documented, but Subban, also up for the Norris Trophy as the League's top defenseman, stepped up with a new initiative in the 2017-18 season, P.K.'s Blueline Buddies.
The program came in response to Subban's desire to make a difference in his community, bridging the gap between those who call Nashville home. During every Predators home game, Subban hosts a member of the Metro Nashville Police Department and their guest with a mentor or representative from a local organization and an underprivileged youth.
Subban takes care of the game tickets, dinner and meets with the group prior to and after the game in an effort to give the two parties a glimpse into each other's lives. With everything Subban does, the program has become a rousing success, and it has even been featured nationally on "CBS This Morning," as well as landing Subban as a guest on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah."
The Toronto native had high hopes for the program when it began in the fall - but its success has exceeded even his wildest dreams.
"I knew that I wanted to do something special," Subban said of Blueline Buddies. "When you donate 10 million dollars to [the Montreal Children's Hospital], you think that that would probably be the biggest thing, but I think the Blueline Buddies has been just as impactful. It's really special to me because, obviously playing in Nashville now, I wanted to do something in the community there and I think we were very successful in achieving that."
No matter if Subban is ultimately named the winner of the King Clancy, the charity of his choice will still benefit. The winner will receive a $40,000 donation from the National Hockey League Foundation with the two runners-up each receiving a $5,000 donation from the League Foundation.
The 2018 NHL Awards will be held Wednesday, June 20, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. NBCSN and Sportsnet will broadcast the event live in the United States and Canada, respectively, at 7 p.m. CT.