BANFF – The legacy of a late Banff Hockey Academy (BHA) player is being honoured with the re-naming of Canadian Sports School Hockey League’s (CSSHL) top academic award.
Moving forward, the Nick Crosby Top Scholastic Athlete Award, previously the U18 Prep Division Top Scholastic Athlete, will be given to student-athletes following in the late athlete’s academic footsteps a decade after passing.
“Nick was the first ever winner of the award and years later still exemplifies what the CSSHL envisions our student-athletes to strive for today,” said Kevin Goodwin, CSSHL chief operating officer.
“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.”
Originally from Ketchum, Idaho, Crosby, who served as captain of BHA 2009-10, was killed in a motor vehicle accident in 2011. He was 19.
During his season with BHA and playing in two leagues, Crosby had two goals and four points in 11 CSSHL games, and scored 15 goals and 26 points in the Heritage Junior B Hockey League.
The next season Crosby played for the Brook Bandits of the Alberta Junior A Hockey League.
The Banff Community High School, where BHA’s student-athletes were schooled, named Crosby to the Honours Society and he was awarded the BHA Prize for Physical Education.
Following his death, BHA re-named its Student-Athlete of the Year Award to the Nick Crosby Student Athlete of the Year Award in 2012.
“He was on his way to play college hockey for sure, which was his goal,” said former BHA president Bill Doherty, in a press release.
“When 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’t a dry eye in the place. It was emotional but it was also impressive just the impact that young man had on people.”
