This release was announced today on hockeyhumanitarian.org. We will present a portion of the article here and you can read the rest on their website. Dylan Lugris played for the Jersey Hitmen of the NCDC 2020-22, winning the Dineen Cup in 2021, and moving on to Penn State in the start of the winter semester of 2021-22 after starting that season as Captain with the Hitmen.
Junior Dylan Lugris (Buffalo, N.Y.) of the Penn State University men’s hockey program was presented the 2024 Hockey Humanitarian Award by the Hockey Humanitarian Foundation during a ceremony on Friday night at the RiverCentre in Saint Paul at the Men’s Frozen Four. Lugris is the first Nittany Lion hockey player to win a major national award.
Lugris is the 29th honoree of the award, the 14th Division I male to win the award and the fourth male from a Big Ten school to be honored. He was recognized during the Friday night NCAA Men’s Frozen Four awards ceremonies, alongside the recipients of the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, the Mike Richter Award and the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
The Buffalo, New York native was one of five finalists, joining Hank Kempf (Wilmette, Ill.) of Cornell, Jack Quinn (Lancaster, Mass.) from LIU, Raice Szott (Daysland, Alberta) of Merrimack and Sarah Thompson (Ottawa, Ontario) from Syracuse.
“I congratulate all the nominees for their contributions to their local and global communities. It is an incredible honor to stand alongside these exceptional men and woman. I’m truly grateful for being recognized as a Hockey Humanitarian,” commented Lugris. “I didn’t do this for the award, but I’m very proud that sled hockey is growing and getting the recognition it deserves. The Coyotes have a special place in our programs’ heart. We look forward to continuing this relationship for years to come.”
The award is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen — 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.
Lugris wasted little time getting involved in the local State College community once arriving in Hockey Valley in January 2021. Dylan quickly formed a bond with the local sled hockey organization, the State College Coyotes. Dylan began attending weekly practices, eventually having teammates join him as he learned more and more about the sport of sled hockey and the Coyotes’ organization.
