Adam Sandstrom was a huge part of the Whitecourt Wolverines season on the ice, but it’s off it where the 21-year-old blueliner was recognized on Wednesday.
The Red Deer product was selected as the Alberta Junior Hockey League RBC Community Award recipient for the 2019-20 season.
Each AJHL team nominated one player as the RBC Community Ambassador and the award is given to the player who fully embraced the role through impactful work in the community.
“Volunteering is so important as it allows me to give back to the community, just as Whitecourt has supported me and my team this year. It was an honour to volunteer with all the different charities,” he said in a video message.
In addition to the award, a $5,200 donation will be made on Sandstrom’s behalf to the Whitecourt Food Bank.
Sandstrom, the Wolverines captain contributed to a number of causes throughout the season.
He was involved in awareness campaigns, including Hockey Fights Cancer and the Whitecourt Family Violence Initiative, as well as junior reporter interviews at the local elementary school. He leads by example and committed the most community volunteer hours on the team.
Sandstrom also joined minor hockey teams for their practices and spent a week of summer break coaching the local Atom / PeeWee Hockey School group.
Next year, the defenceman will attend NAIT and suit up for Ooks hockey in the 2020-21 Alberta Colleges Athletic Association men’s hockey season. He finished the 2019-20 season with 10 goals and 29 points in 56 games.