FLINT, MI—Rico Phillips of Flint Township is the 2019 winner of the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award.
Phillips was honored Wednesday during the NHL Awards ceremony, which was televised live by NBC Sports Network from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
After being announced as the winner near the end of the ceremony, Phillips congratulated the other nominees and thanked the NHL, O’Ree and his supporters back in Flint -- giving a thumbs up to the “Flintstones” back home.
Phillips also thanked wife Sandy, who was sitting in the crowd, saying she's the person "who gives me strength, courage and confidence as well as helping to keep my feet on the ground and my head above the clouds."
The O'Ree Award is given annually "to an individual who - through the game of hockey - has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society," according to the NHL website.
Phillips, a member of the Flint Fire Department, was a finalist along with Tammi Lynch of suburban Washington D.C. and Anthony Benavides of Detroit. The NHL flew all three to Las Vegas for the ceremony and all were profiled during the awards telecast.
The winner was selected through an online fan vote.
Phillips founded the Flint Inner City Youth Hockey Program in 2010 and serves as its director.
The program provides free instruction and hockey equipment to youngsters aged 8-11 in an effort to introduce them to hockey. They're also provided with free transportation to and from sessions.
The nine-week program concludes each year with participants playing a game at Dort Federal Event Center.
Phillips fell in love with hockey while growing up in Flint and still plays in a local men's league while also working as an official.
During his profile, he was shown speaking to students while wearing his fire department uniform, tying one player’s skates and talking about the Flint water crisis. Clips were also shown of participants in the FICYHP skating at Dort Federal.
Phillips and Sandy were shown sitting in the crowd at the end of his profile.
Lynch is Maryland hockey mom who is co-founder of the Players Against Hate campaign after witnessing a youth player being victimized by racial slurs during a game.
She designed a logo with the word racism crossed out by a hockey stick. Players at all levels of hockey wore the logo on their uniforms last season.
Benavides founded the Clark Park Hockey Program in Detroit for youngsters in a predominantly Latino community that is plagued by gang activity, poverty and crime, according to the NHL website. Youngsters in the program are provided with free equipment and instruction.
O'Ree was the first black player in NHL history and he visited Flint this year on the final day of the FICYHP. He is the NHL's Diversity Ambassador and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
O’Ree was among the presenters of the award.
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©2019 The Flint Journal, Mich.
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