LAS VEGAS — Senior forward Kevin Anderson of Princeton was named the 2026 recipient of the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, presented by the Hockey Commissioners Association Friday night in Las Vegas.
The award was established by the HCA in honor of former Army player Derek Hines, who played from 1999-2003 and was a four-year letterwinner as well as a co-captain his senior season. He was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 1, 2005, in Afghanistan.
Anderson is the first Princetonian to be selected as the recipient of the award and fifth ECAC player to be chosen since the award was first presented in 2007.
“There is not a player on our roster who cares more deeply about his team and teammates than Kevin Anderson,” Princeton coach Ben Syer said in a statement. “He leads by example — through preparation, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to doing whatever the team needs to win. His competitiveness is genuine and relentless, and he approaches every practice and game with extraordinary focus and intensity.”