Tuch selected as Sabres' nominee for King Clancy Trophy

Alex Tuch has been selected as the Sabres' nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the NHL player who "best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made noteworthy humanitarian contributions to his community."

Tuch is one of 32 nominees, one from each of the NHL's franchises. The winner will be chosen by a committee of senior NHL executives led by commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

The first-place winner will receive a $25,000 donation to a charity of their choice. Two runners-up will each receive $5,000 donations.

Fans can visit Alltroo.com/Tuch to donate to Tuch's AT9 Foundation and enter for the chance to win an Ultimate Sabres Fan experience with the forward next season, including two tickets to a game, a signed jersey and game-used stick, a meet-and-greet with Tuch, and airfare and hotel accomodations.

Tuch's nomination comes on the heels of receiving the Sabres' Rick Martin Award, voted on by fans to recognize the Sabres player who "best demonstrates on-ice excellence, resiliency and dedication to the community."

Tuch has been a staple in Western New York since joining the Sabres in November 2021. He attended various community events this season, including a family skate with players from the Buffalo Warriors sled hockey team. He was present when members of Buffalo Sabres Thunder, a team for athletes with developmental disabilities, were surprised with brand-new royal blue jerseys.

Tuch also purchased 20 tickets to 10 games this season and donated them to multiple charities and even organized meet-and-greets with them following the game.

Tuch grew up a Sabres fan and described his homecoming following a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights as a "dream come true." His performance on the ice was just as important as his impact on the community.

He established the AT9 Foundation as a non-profit organization with a primary focus to assist children currently facing challenges in all areas of their lives, with a special focus on supporting research to end children's cancer.

"During my first two seasons in Buffalo, I have had the pleasure of meeting and supporting many different nonprofit organizations and the incredible kids and adults they serve," Tuch said. "Each meeting left me feeling grateful to be a part of this community and inspired to do more to give back."

The Syracuse, New York native broke loose for a career year in 2022-23, scoring 36 goals and 79 points in 74 games. He has been at the forefront of the Sabres' effort to reingratiate themselves with the fan base.

"I thought we made a lot of people in the City of Buffalo proud through our work ethic and our attitude and our emotion in this locker room, because we were true to ourselves," Tuch said following the season. "We really showed that we care about that logo on the front of our jersey and about the City of Buffalo in general."