Brent Dodginghorse wins NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award
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Brent Dodginghorse has been named as the Canadian winner of the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award.
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Dodginghorse, a member of the Tsuut'ina Nation, was honoured Monday night for the substantial work he's done impacting his community, culture and society through the sport of hockey.
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The 47-year-old is the co-founder of DH Ranch, which has an education program that promotes greater respect, understanding and appreciation for fellow hockey players regardless of race, ethnicity or ability. More than 4,000 people have gone through the program since 2019.
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Dodginghorse, who won the WHL's President's Cup with the Calgary Hitmen in 1999, is also a consultant for the Calgary Flames and works with the 7 Chiefs Hockey Program with his cousin Kyle Dodginghorse, speaking about diversity and acting as a mentor for young players at the 7 Chiefs Sportsplex and the Chief Jim Starlight Centre on Tsuut'ina Nation.
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''He has been such a tremendous advocate and friend and peer and mentor to our entire organization at the Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen,' said Candice Goudie, the executive director of the Calgary Flames Foundation, in an interview with NHL.com last month. 'A lot of what we've built as far as inclusion in our minor hockey programs and in our celebration games, Brent has been a part of that. We are just so lucky to have him.'
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The Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award is named after the former NHLer who became the first Black player to compete in the league when he stepped onto the ice with the Boston Bruins on Jan. 18, 1958.
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