Doug Grandy didn’t set out to win one of hockey’s highest community honours. He set out to make sure young girls stepping onto the ice felt like they belonged there.
Now, that commitment has earned the Fredericton, N.B. Local 1053 member recognition as the Canadian recipient of the National Hockey League’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award.
Grandy was recognized for Rink Rebels, a youth hockey organization based in Fredericton that provides inclusive, skill-focused development, training and mentorship for girls of all ages and skill levels.
Founded in 2024 by Grandy and friend Ryan Burns, the program includes on and off-ice training with a focus on providing a positive and supportive space for participants. A Rink Rebels Friendship Tournament held in Fredericton in August 2025 drew players from New Brunswick, Ontario and Maine, with another tournament planned for this August.
Grandy was announced as the Canadian winner by legendary hockey broadcaster Ron McLean during the first intermission of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and Las Vegas Golden Knights. He’ll also attend a New York Rangers game in September where a small ceremony will take place.
Grandy said he was honoured to be recognized by the NHL and proud of the program and its goals. He grew up with a sister who played hockey, and when his own daughters started playing, he realized not much had changed in terms of access to ice time and other opportunities in the sport.
“We realized, we need to do better for these girls,” he said. “It’s about making sure when they’re at the rink or they leave the rink, they feel comfortable and confident. It’s about more than hockey. It’s about mentorship and when it comes to girls’ hockey, that’s the piece that was missing.”
It’s about more than hockey. It’s about mentorship and when it comes to girls’ hockey, that’s the piece that was missing.
fredericton local 1053 member and rink rebels co-founder doug grandy
Grandy, who was a skilled junior hockey player in his youth, coaches the players alongside a team of others including Jamie Heffernan, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2004 L.A. Kings draft pick Eric Neilson and Kat Pelowich, a Concordia University player who won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2025 FISU Winter World University Games in Italy.
“We need to stop looking at minor sports as this elite high intensity stuff all the time,” Grandy said. “The majority of the girls just want to have fun, feel valued and have a space to grow their skills without judgement.”
The award includes a $30,000 donation to the charity of the recipient’s choice and celebrates the legacy of Willie O’Ree, a former NHL forward who made history on Jan. 18, 1958, as the League’s first Black player. The NHL issued a press release and produced a video about Grandy and his Rink Rebels program.
Grandy is now developing a spinoff program called Rink Rebels: The Fire Within for girls aged 13 to 18. It’s a leadership-based development experience that uses the values and culture of both athletics and the fire service to help young women discover what they are capable of when challenged physically, mentally, and emotionally within a supportive team environment.
The goal is to eventually mature the program into a Future First Responders mentorship stream, to create pathways into careers in firefighting, EMS, policing, military service and related fields.
Fredericton Local 1053 President Barry Durling, who has known Grandy since the two were kids, said he was proud to see his friend’s dedication to mentoring female youth recognized.
“Rink Rebels has been a great asset to our community and I’m very pleased to see Doug’s efforts recognized.”
