NHL Unsung Heroes: The Premiere Edition

Apr 27, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier (40) in the 3rd period of game five of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers won the game 4-2 and lead the series 3-2. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

Unsung Heroes is a new weekly piece featured on Too Many Men on the Site, Fansided’s general NHL page. It focuses on players who don’t receive the spotlight a Patrick Kane, Steven Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin, etc does but still are capable of putting up decent numbers to help their team win. These guys are also staples of giving within the community where they play, whether it be charities, special events or just a general good deed. Any nominations from readers will be accepted, so please feel free to send them to the e-mail address listed at the bottom of this article, or tweet them either to myself or the TMMOTS Twitter account. Thank you.

Every team, every game, has a hero. In the NHL there’s usually more than one per team. Some like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and even Steven Stamkos are always at the top of the headlines, appearing in numerous All Star games and Olympic events. Others go about the business of trying to win games for their team without much fanfare. With that in mind, I’m creating a new feature designed to recognize these unsung heroes. This week we’ll begin by taking a look at the Philadelphia Flyers’ Vincent Lecavalier.

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When thinking of Philadelphia, the first name to cross your mind would have to be Claude Giroux. Lecavalier’s a good player in his own right though, producing 20 goals and 37 points in just 69 games last season. I know that may not sound impressive, but if you delve deeper it’s easy to see how much he helped the Flyers power play. His eight goals on the man-advantage tied winger Jakub Voracek for third among teammates, behind only Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell.

Another thing that makes Lecavalier a great guy to have around is the fact he’s always willing to help brighten anyone’s day if needed. Back in December of 2005, while a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Lecavalier created a foundation in his name. Then, two years later (2007), he announced a three million dollar commitment to build the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at All Childrens Hospital, located in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Once the Lightning and Lecavalier parted ways last summer, he vowed to continue the work he’d begun so many years prior. You can receive more information, meet a few of the patients whose lives he’s touched, and even donate by visiting vinny40.org.

This just goes to show you some hockey players have hearts made of gold and aren’t afraid to show it.

If you have an “unsung hero” you’d like to nominate, please feel free to send me a tweet, @TBLightning491, or contact me via e-mail at lburg9126@gmail.com.