The National Hockey League announced that Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, and San Jose Sharks forward Brent Burns were named the three finalists for the 2013-2014 NHL Foundation Player Award. This award is presented to the NHL player who applies the core values of hockey – commitment, perseverance, and teamwork – to enrich the lives of people in his community.
The finalists were determined by NHL club submissions. The three finalists were selected by a judging panel. The NHL Foundation will present $25,000 to the chosen charitable organization of the winners choice.
The winner will be announced on June 24th at the 2014 NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas.
Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
Burns is a true passionate and caring person. The amount of charitable work and donations that Burns has done over the past year is amazing. He has donated more than one million dollars to Defending the Blue Line, which provides children of military families the opportunity to play hockey. He also has a suite in San Jose in which he provides entertainment for over 500 military families over the season. He also organizes equipment drives to help families who cannot afford to equip their young hockey players. Last season he helped former teammate Dominic Moore by raising money for cancer. He shaved his beard and hair and raised $24,000 for the Katie Moore Foundation.
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Bergeron has become a true leader on and off the ice. His work within the community of Boston is amazing. He is very active with the Boston’s Childrens Hospital, Defending the Blue Line, Floating Hospital for Children, Franciscan Hospital for Children, The Jimmy Fund, The Home for Little Wanderers and the Massachusetts General Hospital. The list goes on and on. Seven years ago Bergeron introduced Patrice’s Pals. This program provides children from various groups the chance to watch Bruins games from a luxury suite.
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
Keith has made an impact in the community of Chicago since he arrived. He formed a charity called Keith Relief. This program helps provide financial assistance to families in a medical crisis. Along with the help of his wife this program has raised more than $250,000 since 2012. He also does charity work for the Ronald McDonald House, Charities of Chicagoland, and Northwest Indiana. Keith is truly a leader in the community of Chicago.
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