During his time on the Hilltop with the men’s ice hockey team, Tucker Mullin appeared in 97 games, scoring 49 goals and handing out 55 assists for a total of 104 points. But it is what he did off the ice that we recognize him here today.
In April of 2013, J. Tucker Mullin was honored as the 2013 BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award. The Hockey Humanitarian Award, currently in its 21st season of existence, is awarded annually to college hockey’s finest citizen and seeks to recognize college hockey players at all levels, who give back to their communities in the true humanitarian spirit. The award seeks “not to celebrate Hall of Fame athletes, but rather Hall of Fame human beings,” according to the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award website.
Mullin was nominated as a result of his many charitable endeavors that he had undertaken over his four seasons on the hilltop. A two-time team captain, Mullin co-founded the Thomas E. Smith Fight to Cure Paralysis foundation, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, which benefits those affected by and living with paralysis through emotional and financial support. Since the foundation’s establishment May 12, 2010, Mullin and his co-Founder, Thomas Smith, have organized a variety of fundraising activities throughout New England and beyond.
During his time at Saint Anselm, Mullin was instrumental in bringing the Team IMPACT program to the men’s ice hockey program and served as one of the student ambassadors. Benjamin Roy joined the Hawks through the TEAM IMPACT program and has played an integral role on the team since then.
Currently Mullin’s Foundation is working hard to bring the Look-Up Line to the game of hockey. The Look-Up Line, ice hockey’s warning track; is an adjunct to decreasing the risk injuries along the boards. It warns players to keep their heads up when approaching the boards, while warning players not to body check players from behind. The orange line can be seen surrounding the ice of Sullivan arena, and Saint Anselm was the first NCAA school to adopt the Look-Up line two seasons ago.
The Look-Up Line has gained the most traction in the United States, where both the NCAA and USA Hockey have endorsed the concept. More than 250 rinks in 27 states – including the Thomas F. Sullivan Arena – installed the new safety measure this year.