Kelly Receives J. Thom Lawler Award

CHARLESTOWN, Mass. – It was award season for Jack Kelly of the Suffolk men's hockey team yesterday, Wednesday, Nov. 18 as the Rams' forward was presented with the 2019-20 J. Thom Lawler Award by Eric Doyle, the executive of the Eastern Massachusetts Hockey Officials Association (EMHOA), at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink.  

Over 230 days have passed since Kelly, a native of Arlington, Massachusetts, was announced as the J. Thom Lawler Award recipient for last season, which is given annually in memory of the late J. Thom Lawler, former head coach and athletic director at Merrimack College, to honor a Massachusetts/New England player from Division III for their commitment to their program, university and community.  

Kelly became the second Rams player to take home the prestigious award over the last decade as Tim Benedetto achieved the feat in 2015.  

"The Lawler Award is one of the most prestigious in college hockey," head coach Chris Glionna said. "To have Jack win this award and our program associated with an award that honors Mr. Lawler is amazing."  

Since he first skated at Suffolk, Kelly has embodied the spirit of the Lawler award – scholarship, leadership and sportsmanship – and that did not falter in his third year in blue-and-gold. The assistant captain was off to a hot start in 2019-20 with seven points on four goals and three assists over the first six outings, before being scratched for the remainder of the campaign due to injury.  

Throughout his career, Kelly has proven his versatility on and off the ice. Athletically he has been an offensive contributor from the get go and has assembled a 45-point stat line over 54 games with 22 goals and 23 assists. Academically, the business economics concentrator has compiled a 3.1 grade point average.  

Kelly and his teammates await to see if his senior season will be skated as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC)'s call on 2020-21 winter sports is set to be announced following the New Year.