Tassone voted as Future Goals Most Valuable Teacher for community impact

The Future Goals Most Valuable Teacher program is part of the NHL and NHLPA's Future Goals initiative and is funded by their joint Industry Growth Fund (IGF).

To Scott Tassone, the pep rally at Oakstead Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes, Florida in April was simply a way to celebrate the start of his beloved Tampa Bay Lightning’s run in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But, by the end of the event, he was surprised with the announcement of earning the NHL and NHLPA’s 2026 Future Goals Most Valuable Teacher Award powered by Everfi, intended to recognize teachers who use the sport of hockey to further educate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“I didn’t expect it,” Tassone told NHL.com. “So, it was very exciting to have the whole school and the community here and my family with me.”

Students ranging from Pre-K to 5th grade attended the pep rally to cheer on Tassone along with his family, Lightning mascot ThuderBug and other members of the community.

“They surprised me by being here, so that’s really, really nice,” said Tassone, a physical education teacher at the elementary school.​

To earn the award, Tassone had to be nominated as the Lightning’s candidate, then earn the most votes from the community. Voting took place between March 1 and April 1.

He was nominated by Jordan McKenzie, the Lightning’s community and hockey development manager for ball hockey, who said Tassone was “the first person who came to mind” when deciding on who to nominate for the award.

“It’s just the impact that he has and that we hear about,” McKenzie told NHL.com. “He’s an all-around great human being, so it was just an easy selection.”

Each of the 32 NHL teams nominated one teacher for the award.

McKenzie has gotten to know Tassone over the last four years through the Lightning’s ball hockey tournaments, and he made the trip out to the pep rally to celebrate the Most Valuable Teacher.

“It was incredible,” McKenzie said. “Very special seeing all the students excited. A great little surprise.”

Tassone – who was quick to thank the Lighting and the community for voting for him – earned his nomination by running ball hockey tournaments in the community as well as implementing hockey into his PE curriculum.

“I’m a huge Lightning fan, so I talk about hockey,” Tassone said. “The kids just love it, running around with a stick in their hand. This school is just a fantastic school with a lot of great kids, and they just eat it up. It’s so much fun and they’ve really taken to it.”

The 10-year educator said he started the community ball hockey clubs eight years ago, starting by enrolling one team in the Lightning’s development tournament. Now, he has enough participation to submit three full teams into the tournament.​

Tassone’s first championship team was led by Mason Fox, one of Tassone’s students who tragically passed away in February 2024 after a 10-month battle with cancer.

Mason’s diagnosis came in 2023, soon after he helped his team win the Lightning’s hockey tournament.

“He was a really, really good hockey player,” Tassone said of Mason. “It was great that he won the gold. Him and the other kids, of course, but he was a big, big factor.”

The diagnosis inspired Tassone to start the Mason Fox Ball Hockey Tournament as a fundraiser for Mason and his family. The tournament is now in its fourth year running.

The first iteration of the tournament – which ran in 2023 – raised over $7,000 and saw almost 300 kids participate, including Mason himself.

“To see him out there playing with his (friends) even though he wasn’t feeling 100 percent just made me so happy,” Tassone said. “I would hope that he saw how much love Oakstead had for him with all these kids playing in his honor.”

In early 2024, Mason passed away just before his 11th birthday. As a tribute, Tassone makes sure the tournament continues to run.

The most recent tournament ran in February 2026 and raised over $10,000. Tassone had 49 teams participating and 400 kids playing. The Lightning contributed by donating signed memorabilia for the tournament.

“The whole community really gets involved and it’s just a wonderful event,” Tassone said, adding that he hopes to see the tournament continue to run for a long time.

The Most Valuable Teacher Award comes with a trip to an upcoming NHL event, as well as new ball hockey equipment for Tassone’s classroom provided by the Lightning.

“I just can’t stress how important the community here around Oakstead is,” Tassone said. “I had old teachers, old students from our high school and middle school messaging me on Facebook saying they’re voting for me, they’re rooting for me. Just to have that support as the kids grow up and the parents remember things that we do at the elementary level is just wonderful. It really is.”