Sam Anzai nominated for Hockey Humanitarian Award

Sam Anzai, a player on the UW-River Falls Men’s Hockey team since 2019, has received one of only 18 national nominations for the 2024 Hockey Humanitarian Award. The award recognizes college hockey players who have shown significant commitment to surrounding communities and organizations when they’re off the ice. It is now in its 29th season and is given to male and female college hockey players from Division I, II, or III. 

“My parents put me on skates early; I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t playing,” said Anzai. Sam grew up in Los Angeles, where he gained much of his love for hockey. His uncle is an equipment manager for the Los Angeles Kings, and his parents had season tickets throughout his childhood. 

Sam visited UWRF in 2019 and said he instantly clicked with the school and hockey program. He has become a very familiar face on the UWRF men’s hockey team in the last five seasons, participating in 115 games for the Falcons. 

Sam admitted the nomination caught him off guard at first, as he had never heard of the award. He said, “I looked at some of the past winners, and there are some remarkable student-athletes on there.”

Anzai credits the athletic department for providing many of his volunteer opportunities and emphasizes the connection between being a student-athlete and having opportunities to help the school. Much of Sam’s volunteer work went into building the future of Falcon sports and providing unique insight as a student-athlete. 

Sam is in his fourth year serving with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which features volunteers from many of the school’s varsity teams. With the organization, Anzai has helped organize events such as Run with the Cops and Trick or Treat for Canned Goods. “We’re like a liaison between the athletic department and our teams.” 

Anzai has done many hours of work for the Strategic Planning Committee. He has served as a student representative, developing the map of what Falcon Athletics would look like in the near future. Sam has also worked closely with the Faculty Senate on campus, serving as a voice on how the athletic department was doing and where it was heading. 

Sam admits his schedule has been hectic over the past four years. “I had a day off the other day for the first time in I couldn’t tell you how long.” However, he says that he’s at his happiest when being productive and helping people. The winner of the Hockey Humanitarian Award will be announced on April 12. In the meantime, Anzai will be helping his team in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.