MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Men’s ice hockey senior captain David Goodwin has been named one of five finalists for the 2017 Hockey Humanitarian Award, as announced by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation on Thursday, Feb. 2.
Goodwin becomes the first-ever Penn State hockey player to be named a finalist for this prestigious award. The foundation and its longtime lead sponsor BNY Mellon Wealth Management present the award annually to college hockey's finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team, but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
“David Goodwin’s commitment to building the Penn State hockey culture has been matched by his commitment to service and community that has been strong and consistent for four years,” said head coach Guy Gadowsky. “We are honored that David is a part of Penn State and thrilled that he is a finalist for this prestigious award.”
During his time at Penn State, Goodwin has helped build the culture of Penn State hockey and as a leader has demonstrated the perfect balance of being vocal and leading by example. The senior, who will graduate in May, boasts a 3.65 grade-point average as a double major in economics and Spanish, all while becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer and first-ever 100-point score. Goodwin currently sits at 111 points, good for 12th in the nation among active players.
However, off the ice may be where the two-time Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten honorable mention has made the biggest influences, not only in his local communities, but abroad as well. Along with volunteering at special-needs schools and working one-on-one with mentally challenged students, David continuously sacrifices his personal time over the summer to travel to less fortunate countries and make an impact on the community. He has helped teach at local elementary schools as well as build retaining walls in El Salvador and Nicaragua, he has spent time in Mexico strengthening his Spanish to get closer to fluency and most recently, he taught an English course at a university in Cuba. All of his efforts have also made David a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award.
When asked how he felt about advancing in the selection process, Goodwin stated, "Being at the service of others simply gives my life meaning and purpose. I recognize that I have received much throughout my life. I am grateful for the many people, including my Penn State family, that have supported me each and every day."
The recipient will be announced Friday, April 7, as part of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in Chicago. Additionally, the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation will make a donation to the charity most important to each finalist. These donations are made possible with the generous support of the award's partners and donors.