The Flames are proud to announce Andrew Mangiapane as the club’s nominee for the 2024 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.
“Congratulations to Andrew on being named our nominee for this award,” said Flames captain Mikael Backlund, the proud winner of the 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy. “Andrew’s dedication to our community is truly inspiring and he is making a real difference in the lives of young people here in Calgary.”
During his seven seasons with the Flames, Mangiapane has been an excellent contributor to both the team and the Calgary community. While Mangiapane has always been quick to attend community events hosted by the team, this season he decided he wanted to do more. Alongside his fiancé Claudia, Andrew started Mange’s Breadsticks, a youth community hockey program based out of the Youth Centres of Calgary, in the community of Ogden. With the invaluable backing of Mangiapane’s partners, the Flames Foundation and the Calgary Italian Open, they donated the funding required to operate Mange’s Breadsticks at the youth centre this season.
“Hockey has given so much to me and my family and I think it was a great opportunity for me to give back to the city of Calgary,” said Mangiapane. “Growing up, I was always told I was too small, and I was never going to make it. I was always the underdog, and these kids are also underdogs, so I want to give them the best chance to learn to play hockey. They’ve never had equipment or played on a team, and I wanted to help and be a role model to them in the game that has given me so much.”
In tandem with his own financial support, Mangiapane cultivated a partnership with a notable Calgary organization: the Italian Centre Shop. Collaborating closely, the Italian Centre Shop and Mangiapane created a unique #88 loaf of bread which was made available for purchase at their store for a limited time. For each loaf sold, the Italian Centre Shop pledged to provide a meal kit to the Youth Centres of Calgary. This joint initiative yielded impressive results, with over 850 loaves sold, translating into an equivalent number of meal kits donated to children who frequently lack access to healthy meals at home.
Throughout this season, Mangiapane has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting the Youth Centres of Calgary. In the inaugural year of Mange’s Breadsticks, Andrew embarked on a mission to dedicate his resources and time towards mentoring a group of aspiring young hockey enthusiasts. Recognizing the barriers faced by kids in the community who had a desire to learn and play hockey but lacked the means or opportunities to do so, Andrew felt compelled to step up and make a difference in their lives. With help from various partners, including the Flames Foundation, Andrew was able to purchase each child in the program their first ever set of brand-new hockey equipment. Andrew saw this as an opportunity to provide these children with more than just athletic skills, but also confidence and a sense of belonging.
The Calgary Flames are the only NHL team to have been presented this award on four occasions. Previous winners include Lanny McDonald (1988), Joe Nieuwendyk (1995), Jarome Iginla (2004) and Mikael Backlund (2023).
The three finalists for the award will be announced at a later date by the NHL.