Patty Kazmaier Award
The Patty Kazmaier Award is an annual accolade recognizing the most outstanding female player in NCAA Division 1 ice hockey. Established in 1998, the award honors Patty Kazmaier-Sandt, a Princeton University athlete who excelled in ice hockey and tragically passed away from a rare blood disease in 1990. The award is designed by Tiffany & Co. and features a bronze statue of a female hockey player, symbolizing excellence in the sport.
Sponsored by the USA Hockey Foundation, the award highlights not only individual and team performance but also criteria such as sportsmanship, character, and academic achievements. The selection process involves nominations from NCAA Division 1 head coaches, leading to a vote that culminates in the announcement of the winner during the women's collegiate hockey national championships each March. Notable past winners include Olympic medalists and players who have represented national teams, showcasing the award's significance in promoting women's hockey and honoring the legacy of Patty Kazmaier.
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Patty Kazmaier Award
The Patty Kazmaier Award is given annually to the outstanding female player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 competition. First presented in 1998, the award features a bronze image of a female hockey player with arms and a stick thrust into the air. The trophy was named in honor of Princeton University ice hockey standout Patty Kazmaier-Sandt, who died of a rare blood disease in 1990. The Patty Kazmaier Award is the women’s equivalent of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, named after Hobey Baker, a Princeton hockey player who died in 1918.
Background
Born on January 8, 1962, Patty Kazmaier was one of six daughters born to Richard and Patricia Kazmaier. Kazmaier attended Middlesex School, a New Hampshire prep school where she played ice hockey, field hockey, and lacrosse, excelling in all three sports. She also participated in theater productions and served as the publisher and co-editor of the school’s literary magazine.
Kazmaier entered Princeton University in 1981 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in religion. She was a defensive star for the university’s ice hockey team, earning an honorable mention for the All-Ivy League team during her first year and a place on the second team during her sophomore year. The Princeton Tigers won three consecutive Ivy League championships during Kazmaier’s first three seasons with the team. Kazmaier took a one-year leave of absence during the 1984–1985 school year before returning to complete her senior year. She was named to the All-Ivy League First Team and the All-Eastern College Athletic Conference First Team and was the league’s most valuable player in 1986 during her final season at Princeton.
Kazmaier’s accomplishments were part of a family tradition of excellence in collegiate athletics. Her sister, Kathy, was a star goalie with the women’s ice hockey team at the University of New Hampshire. While playing on Princeton’s football team in 1951, their father won the Heisman Trophy, an annual award given to the most outstanding player in college football.
In 1987, Kazmaier married Mark Sandt, whom she met in Alaska during her year off from Princeton. They lived in Hawaii for a time before returning to the East Coast. In January 1989, she became certified as a substitute teacher in Pennsylvania. A few months later, in May, the couple had a daughter, Serena. However, Kazmaier had developed a rare blood disorder called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. She died from this in Philadelphia on February 15, 1990.
Overview
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award—known fondly to women’s hockey fans as the Patty Kaz—is given yearly to the most outstanding female player in varsity NCAA Division 1 hockey. It was first awarded on March 20, 1998, at the Madison Square Club in Boston. The inaugural winner was Brandy Fisher, a forward from the University of New Hampshire Wildcats.
The award was created by the USA Hockey Foundation. The foundation is the charitable portion of USA Hockey, the governing body for all organized hockey in the United States. Created in 1989, the foundation provides financial support for amateur hockey in the United States and promotes the sport’s growth at all age levels.
The foundation worked with Kazmaier’s father to develop the award. The trophy itself was designed by Tiffany & Co. It is given each March to a player who best exemplifies excellence in both individual and team hockey skills, especially performing well in clutch situations when the game is on the line. Other criteria include sportsmanship, competitiveness, personal character, and a love of the game. Academic performance and civic involvement are also considered, and the winner must be a student in compliance with all NCAA rules.
The selection process begins each year in February when NCAA Division 1 head coaches submit nominations. Candidates who are nominated by at least two coaches are placed on a ballot. These ballots go back to the coaches for a vote, which is tabulated by a nationally recognized accounting firm. The names of the top ten nominees are generally announced in mid- to late February.
After this, a thirteen-member committee that includes head coaches, journalists and media representatives, and USA Hockey representatives review the ballots. The top three candidates are announced in early March. The committee chooses a winner for the annual award. The winner is announced in late March at an event held during the women’s collegiate hockey national championships.
Until his death in 2013, Dick Kazmaier was a frequent attendee at the award ceremony honoring his daughter’s legacy. Other members of Kazmaier’s family and her former teammates have also attended. Winners during the trophy’s first twenty-five years include Olympic medalists A.J. Mleckzo, Angela Ruggiero, Julie Chu, Meghan Duggan, Alexandra Carpenter, and Kendall Coyne. Past winners also include some players who went on to play with the American and Canadian national teams, as well as several professional and semi-professional teams.
Bibliography
“About the Foundation.” USA Hockey Foundation, www.usahockeyfoundation.com/page/show/781463-about-the-foundation. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
“About the Patty Kazmaier Award.” The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, www.pattykaz.com/about. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
“A Look Back at 20 Years of Patty Kaz.” The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, 18 Mar. 2017, www.pattykaz.com/news‗article/show/769582. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
"Minneapolis Native Izzy Daniel Wins 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award." Let's Play Hockey, 23 Mar. 2024, letsplayhockey.com/minneapolis-native-izzy-daniel-wins-2024-patty-kazmaier-memorial-award. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
“Patty Kazmaier '86.” Princeton Athletics, 17 Aug. 2011, goprincetontigers.com/news/2011/8/17/205243960. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
“Patty Kazmaier Sandt ’86.” Princeton Alumni Weekly, paw.princeton.edu/memorial/patty-kazmaier-sandt-86. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Podnieks, Andrew. “Patty Kazmaier Remembered.” International Ice Hockey Federation, 15 Feb. 2021, www.iihf.com/en/news/24519/patty‗kazmaier‗remembered. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
“This Is USA Hockey.” USA Hockey, www.usahockey.com/about. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Williams, Doug. “Patty Kazmaier Was a Force on the Ice, Gentle Soul Off It.” USA Hockey, 17 Mar. 2015, www.usahockey.com/news‗article/show/492091-patty-kazmaier-was-a-force-on-the-ice-gentle-soul-off-it. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.