Huberdeau Named Flames' King Clancy Nominee

The Flames are proud to announce Jonathan Huberdeau as the club’s nominee for the 2026 King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.

Since joining the Flames, Huberdeau has made Calgary his home and has shown a dedication to his community, evident through his signature initiative, Huby’s Hangout. Each season, Jonathan personally purchases a private suite at the Scotiabank Saddledome, providing game-night experiences, food, and beverages to underserved youth from across Calgary. For many of these children, it’s their first time attending a professional hockey game, an experience often made memorable by post-game visits from Huberdeau himself, where he connects with the kids through conversations, autographs, and photos.

This year, he created a new program with teammate Justin Kirkland, The J&J Powerplay, aimed at reducing food insecurity in our community. Together, they cover the cost of food for the Youth Centres of Calgary – an organization created to help youth reach their full potential and help break the cycles of poverty. 

“Helping with food insecurity in our community is something that is very important to me," said Huberdeau. “I am so happy to be able to help in any way I can.”

On top of his work in-season, Jonathan hosts a golf tournament each summer, raising almost $1.5 million for the Cite de la Sante Foundation in his home province of Quebec over the last four years.

Huberdeau is a leader in the dressing room in terms of inclusivity and is the first guy to throw on a specialty shirt, hat or jersey to support our various community-driven theme nights. He works so hard to help strengthen the community of Calgary, and does so from the background, giving so much of his time and money to the people that need it the most.

"I truly believe Jonathan Huberdeau is the perfect candidate for the King Clancy Award." said Flames captain and former King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner Mikael Backlund. "He gives so much to our community, is a great leader on and off the ice and he’s a great teammate.”

This season alone, Huby’s Hangout has welcomed youth from a wide range of community organizations, including the Youth Centres of Calgary, Canadian Mental Health Association of Calgary, HEROS Hockey, Special Olympics, Kids Cancer Care, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Woods Homes, Centre for Newcomers, Immigrant Services, Kidsport, Make-A-Wish, Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Spirit North, Umoja Mosaic, Chinese Cultural Centre, Tsuut'ina Nation, Calgary Inclusive Hockey Association, among others.

The Flames are proud to be the only NHL team to have four players win the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, a testament to the organizations longstanding commitment to leadership and community service. Previous winners include Lanny McDonald (1988), Joe Nieuwendyk (1995), Jarome Iginla (2004), and Backlund (2023).

The full list of this year's nominees:

Anaheim Ducks: Lukas Dostal

Boston Bruins: Jordan Harris

Buffalo Sabres: Alex Tuch

Calgary Flames: Jonathan Huberdeau

Carolina Hurricanes: Jaccob Slavin

Chicago Blackhawks: Alex Vlasic

Colorado Avalanche: Sam Malinski

Columbus Blue Jackets: Boone Jenner

Dallas Stars: Jake Oettinger

Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin

Edmonton Oilers: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Florida Panthers: Sam Bennett

Los Angeles Kings: Kevin Fiala

Minnesota Wild: Marcus Foligno

Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki

Nashville Predators: Ryan O'Reilly

New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes

New York Islanders: Kyle Palmieri

New York Rangers: Adam Fox

Ottawa Senators: Linus Ullmark

Philadelphia Flyers: Garnet Hathaway

Pittsburgh Penguins: Bryan Rust

San Jose Sharks: Alexander Wennberg

Seattle Kraken: Joey Daccord

St. Louis Blues: Colton Parayko

Tampa Bay Lightning: Ryan McDonagh

Toronto Maple Leafs: John Tavares

Utah Mammoth: Alexander Kerfoot

Vancouver Canucks: Brock Boeser

Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel

Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin

Winnipeg Jets: Gabriel Vilardi

History

The King Clancy Memorial Trophy was presented in 1988 by the NHL’s Board of Governors in honor of Frank “King” Clancy, a beloved figure in the League for decades as a player, referee, coach, manager and goodwill ambassador. A three-time Stanley Cup champion and 1958 inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Clancy was voted as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players during the League’s Centennial Celebration in 2017.