The Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation unveiled the list of five finalists for the 2026 Hockey Humanitarian Award on Tuesday afternoon, as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association was represented with Minnesota Duluth's Grace Sadura being named one of five finalists for the honor. The award is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen. Founded in 1996, the Hockey Humanitarian Award celebrates 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. The 2026 Hockey Humanitarian Award recipient will be announced on Friday, April 10th, during the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four weekend in Las Vegas.
To view the full release, visit the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation here.
Three WCHA student-athletes have won the award in its history, with Minnesota Duluth's Gabbie Hughes being named the recipient in 2023, Minnesota's Sidney Peters earning the honor in 2018, and Wisconsin's Brittany Ammerman in 2015.
Sadura has continued Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey’s well-known community service initiatives as its volunteer coordinator, tasked with organizing and leading community service initiatives for the team, coordinating events that connect student-athletes with the local community, and building partnerships with local organizations to expand outreach opportunities. The alternate captain’s biggest volunteer commitment is the 7 Stars Horse Ranch, which provides growth, healing, and community through hands-on horsemanship and ranch experiences. It serves youth, veterans, first responders, and their families, and the ranch helps participants build confidence, skills, and meaningful connections. Sadura has also spent countless hours helping run practices with the Duluth Special Wild, an organization for hockey players with special needs, and has helped coach local youth teams in the Duluth community. The UMD DEI Council’s Clothing Drive, an annual event that collects clothing that the council then donates to schools in need in the community, is another project Sadura leads. The drive has been hugely successful, with the Council also handling publicity and outreach, social media, and the sorting and delivering of the items around Duluth.
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