The 2020-21 recipient of the Ralph J. Galanti Jr. Sportsmanship Award is the Orchard Park Quakers Varsity Boys hockey team. Special recognition goes to Quakers head coach, Josh Dannecker and assistant coach, Steve Ferrentino for their sportsmanship leadership this year.
The Award is sponsored by the Niagara Frontier Chapter of the National Ice Hockey Officials Association (NIHOA) and is voted on by its members.
The Award is named after long-time Erie Community College Athletics Director and Hockey Coach, Ralph J. Galanti, Jr. He is a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.
Since 2001 the Award has been presented annually to the Western New York Varsity Federation Boys Ice Hockey team that best exemplifies the characteristics of sportsmanship, fair play and mutual respect among players, coaches and officials during the season.
During his hockey coaching career, Galanti’s ECC teams were always recognized for their high degree of sportsmanship and fair play under his leadership.
This award was to have been presented during the Boys Federation Championship weekend, but do to the pandemic the award will presented to the Quakers at their school later this school year.
