The Calgary Flames Hockey Club is proud to announce that Matthew Tkachuk and Jason Kelly are this year’s recipients of the J.R. McCaig Award. These individuals will be presented with this honour in a ceremony prior to tonight’s game against the Stars.
The Flames lost owner J.R. “Bud” McCaig 14 years ago following a lengthy battle with cancer. Mr. McCaig was a long-time member of the Flames ownership group and a great contributor to the Calgary community. The J.R. McCaig Award honours two Calgary Flames personnel, a player and a staff member, who best exemplify Mr. McCaig’s enduring virtues of respect, courtesy and compassion for all individuals he encountered both in his professional and everyday life.
Since 2006, Jason’s commitment to CSEC and his passion for his responsibilities has provided a significant boost to everyone he interacts with. Jason’s respectful connections with all departments reflect the same spirit Mr. McCaig demonstrated. In his current position as Director of Ticketing, CRM & Retention, he treats all requests with a high degree of importance. Both internal and external needs are responded to quickly and happily by Jason. His performance, dedication and his genuine manner of dealing with clients and staff is why the Flames are presenting him with this deserving honour.
Tkachuk, a first-round pick of the Flames in 2016, is highly respected among his teammates and is the definition of respectful and friendly to everyone he encounters off the ice. His leadership and compassion for all contributed to him being named an assistant captain this past season.
Outside of hockey, Matthew dedicates his time to making monthly visits to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. In addition to his personal room-to-room visits, he also attends numerous Alberta Children’s Hospital fundraising events and has donated his personal Flames tickets to be used as resources for the hospital.
The recipients of the J.R. McCaig Award receive a limited-edition bronze sculpture entitled RESPECT that depicts a cowboy showing his appreciation and respect to his horse by loosening the cinch, removing the bridle and allowing the horse to drink from his hat. The pieces were sculpted by Cremona, AB artist Diane Anderson.