Henderson and Odegard recipients of CCHA major awards
March 25, 2013
Jamie Foland
907-474-6807
Farmington Hills, Mich. – Alaska hockey seniors Adam Henderson (Whitehorse, Yukon/Business administration) and Kaare Odegard (Red Deer, Alberta/Business Finance) were both honored with the best from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association at the annual CCHA Awards Show Friday night inside Detroit's historic Fox Theatre.
Henderson received the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year award while Odegard was a co-recipient of the Mike and Marian Ilitch Humanitarian Award. Each award was voted on by the head coach from each of the 11 CCHA institutions.
Henderson, who served as this year's team captain, is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Business administration. Holding a solid 3.86 grade-point average, he graduated last spring with a degree in Finance. Henderson was also designated as Alaska's nominee for the CCHA Scholar-Athlete honor for the second year in a row and was the 2012 winner of the team's Dirk Anderson Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Don Jamieson Unsung Hero.
On ice, Henderson played in all 37 games for the Nanooks and scored five goals while dishing out seven assists for a career-best 12 points this season. One of Alaska's most physical centers, the 6-2, 209-pound senior won 364 face-offs to rank 22nd in the country and third in the CCHA (as of March 12). He was also a nominee for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award.
Odegard, who was one of the team's three alternate captains this season, shared the league's award given to the top citizen of the conference with Western Michigan's Brett Beebe. Both were given the accolade based on the contribution off the ice, as well as on, to their team, program, school and community. Both student-athletes are also two of the five finalists for the 2013 BNY Mellon Humanitarian Award, which will be revealed April 12 at the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, Penn.
In the summer of 2011, Odegard co-founded the With All Your Heart hospital campaign to raise funds for the Harry & Sally Porter Heart Center at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. He worked with co-founder and Alaska Hockey's volunteer office manager Shawn Head on various fundraising activities throughout the 2011-12 season.
Their efforts rose close to $140,000 ($95,000 of which was contributed based on team achievements, individual donations and a silent auction). They have continued the effort this season with the hopes of generating more funds to benefit the hospital that cares for Fairbanks area heart patients. For more information, visit: http:// fairbankshospitalfoundation.com/with-all-your-heart/.
He also volunteers several hours a month (and countless more over the course of the season/year) alongside his teammates for various events activities and causes in the Fairbanks community. Those activities have included but are not limited to Hockey Skills Clinics, reading to and playing games with elementary aged kids with the “'Nooks For Books” initiative, the Alaska Senior Games, Special Olympics, Hockey Week In Fairbanks (reading to kids in local schools), Mush For Kids, Sports Night at the Denali Center and Skate With The Nanooks.
The fourth-year blue liner had three goals and seven assists in 36 games this season to finish his career with three tallies and 16 assists for the Nanooks. He also played a role in the Nanooks penalty killing unit, ranked first in the CCHA and third in NCAA Division I with an 89.9 efficiency (151-of-168).