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Ten years after the tragic passing of Nick Crosby, the Canadian Sports School Hockey League (CSSHL) with the support of the Crosby family, have announced that the U18 Prep Division Top Scholastic Athlete award has been re-named to the Nick Crosby Top Scholastic Athlete Award.

鈥淣ick was the first ever winner of the award and years later still exemplifies what the CSSHL envisions our student-athletes to strive for today. As an academic based hockey league, it is our goal to have all of our student-athletes reach their academic potential and character growth as Nick did,鈥� said CSSHL Chief Operating Officer Kevin Goodwin.

Originally from Ketchum, Idaho, Crosby spent the inaugural 2009/10 CSSHL season as the captain of Banff Hockey Academy. He recorded 4 points in the 11 CSSHL games that were part of his 70 plus game grade 12 season.

That season Crosby was the very first winner of the CSSHL鈥檚 Student Athlete of the Year award while receiving the Banff Hockey Academy Most Valuable Player and Student Athlete of the Year awards.

鈥淔or me Nick embodied what the league was all about, or at least what we were trying to do with the league,鈥� said former Banff Hockey Academy President Bill Doherty. 鈥淜ids that were hard working, loved the sport, loved the academic piece and were committed to both. And Nick was all of that.鈥�

On top of his hockey related honours in 2009/10, Crosby was admitted into the Banff Community High School Lifetime Honors Society and was awarded the Banff Academy Prize for Physical Education.

鈥淣ick was just one of those guys where when you鈥檙e around him, it was fun. It was light, there was a bounce in the air,鈥� added Doherty, who mentioned the two spent time together in Japan running hockey camps.

Following his successful season with Banff Hockey Academy Crosby joined the Brooks Bandits in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). 鈥淗e was on his way to play college hockey for sure, which was his goal,鈥� said Doherty.

However, Crosby鈥檚 goal to play college hockey was something he was unable to achieve as Crosby passed away after being involved in a motor vehicle accident on July 5, 2011.

鈥淲hen I went to his funeral in Ketchum, Idaho, the whole community was out. It was held in his high school gym and it was packed and there wasn鈥檛 a dry eye in the place. It was emotional but it was also impressive just the impact that young man had on people,鈥� said Doherty.

The impact Crosby has on the Ketchum community continues to this day as The Sun Valley Community School awards the Nick Crosby Athlete of the Year award each year.

Following his death Banff Hockey Academy renamed their Student Athlete of the Year Award to the Nick Crosby Student Athlete of the Year Award in 2012. Crosby has had his number retired by the Bandits, who have since created a Nick Crosby Memorial Award, which is presented to a Bandits player exemplifying Nick鈥檚 assets of determination, teamwork, loyalty and passion.

The original suggestion to honour Nick Crosby with this award came from former CSSHL Director, Media and Communications Tyson Giuriato, who passed away in 2020 before the award could officially be re-named in Crosby鈥檚 honour. 鈥淎ll of the leadership qualities I mentioned with Nick, Tyson displayed so many of them as well,鈥� added Doherty.

鈥淚 think the question you might ask is do we acknowledge these people for what they鈥檝e done if there wasn鈥檛 the tragedy and for me, for both of them, the answer is yes. They鈥檙e both incredible guys.鈥�