Michael Bulger Award

This award is presented to an athlete who has shown that the measure of a true competitor is not found only on the scoreboard, but in the battles fought far from the ice and in the quiet moments of doubt overcome by sheer force of will.

Courage is not the absence of fear, it is stepping back onto the ice knowing the cost and doing it anyway. This athlete has lived that definition every single day.

Commitment is shown not in the easy moments, but in the hardest ones. In every difficult decision, in setting fear aside and in every practice and game defying the urge to quit.  This player showed up for his team when no one would have blamed him for walking away.

Perseverance is the thread that ties it all together. Setback after setback, this athlete rose. Not just to play hockey — but to remind everyone around him what the human spirit is truly capable of.

2025-2026: Michael Bulger

Having endured open-heart surgery and multiple injuries that would have ended the careers of many, this player chose a different path. He chose to fight. He chose to return and he chose to do so with grace, grit, and an unbreakable spirit that has inspired every teammate, coach and all who witnessed his journey.

This year this award is given to Michael Bulger for the courage, commitment and perseverance he showed us all in refusing to allow his setbacks to define his limits.

Going forward this award will be named after Michael and given in his honor on a case by case basis to Cheshire hockey players that have faced similar challenges.