The Sarah Devens Award committee announced on Friday that the 2024-25 award has been awarded to St. Lawrence University women's hockey graduate student Sarah Thompson. 

Presented annually to a player who "demonstrates leadership and commitment both on and off the ice," the Devens Award is given as a joint honor between ECAC Hockey and Hockey East and aids a deserving student-athlete with a post-graduate scholarship of $15,000. The award is named in honor of former Dartmouth Big Green ice hockey player Sarah Devens, who died in 1995 prior to her senior year.

The 30th recipient of the award, Thompson, is the fourth St. Lawrence student-athlete to be honored. 

"It is truly such an honor to receive an award in Sarah Devens' name," said Thompson. "Her legacy is one of leadership, integrity, and impact, and to be associated with that is incredibly humbling. I'm lucky to work with such inspiring kids and communities. Coaching and connecting with them makes it easy to lead and stay motivated to give back."

"Sarah continues to be recognized for all of her selfless work," said head coach Chris Wells. "The Sarah Devens' Award has been a wonderful opportunity for all of the previous winners to continue on in their areas of interest. Marianna Locke, Lindsay Charlebois and Rachel Barrie have all been honored from St. Lawrence in the past and it's great to see Sarah added to that group and receive the award for all her work with Sticks Together!"

In a season defined by grit and team-first play, she appeared in 38 games for the Saints, recording two goals and two assists on 29 shots, which helped her team reach the ECAC Hockey championship weekend and secure an NCAA Tournament win over Penn State. Thompson's exemplary career began during her undergraduate years at Syracuse University, where she played 121 games, tallying 29 goals and 20 assists. Her time at Syracuse was marked not only by her on-ice achievements but also by a series of academic honors, including being a four-time College Hockey America All-Academic Team member and the 2024 American Hockey Coaches Association All-America Scholar.

Off the ice, Thompson has distinguished herself as a passionate advocate for community service. While at Syracuse, she founded the nonprofit initiative Sticks Together - a program designed to provide children in disadvantaged areas with the opportunity to experience the transformative power of hockey. Through free equipment, coaching, and dedicated mentorship, the initiative has grown from a grassroots effort into a movement with plans to extend its reach internationally. Her work with Sticks Together highlights her belief that hockey can transcend boundaries and unite communities worldwide. Her efforts won her the 2025 Hockey Humanitarian Award, announced during the Men's Frozen Four weekend in St. Louis, Mo.

Past recipients of the award include: 1997 -- Kathryn Waldo (F), Northeastern; 1998 -- Sarah Hood (F), Dartmouth; 1999 -- Jamie Totten (D), Northeastern; 2000 -- Carrie Jokiel (F), New Hampshire; 2001 -- Christina Sorbara (F), Brown; 2002 -- Dianna Bell (F), Cornell; 2003 -- Rachel Barrie (G), St. Lawrence; 2004 -- Lindsay Charlebois (F), St. Lawrence; 2005 -- Nicole Corriero (F), Harvard; 2006 -- Karen Thatcher (F), Providence; 2007 -- Lindsay Williams (F), Clarkson; 2008 -- Lizzie Keady (F), Princeton; 2009; -- Marianna Locke (F), St. Lawrence; 2010 -- Laura Gersten (F), Rensselaer; 2011 -- Jackee Snikeris (G), Yale; 2012 -- Aleca Hughes (F), Yale; 2013 -- Alyssa Zupon (F), Yale; 2014 — Vanessa Gagnon (F), Clarkson; 2015 — Chelsea Laden (G), Quinnipiac; 2016 — Alison Rolandelli (D), Brown; 2017 — Paula Voorheis (G), Cornell; 2018 — Taylor Willard (D), Vermont; 2019 — Kenzie Lancaster (F), Quinnipiac; 2020 — Sammy Davis (F), Boston U.; 2021 — Grace Markey (F), Quinnipiac; 2022 - Gianna Meloni (G), Yale; 2023 - Carly Beniek (F), Holy Cross and Kate Reilly (D), Quinnipiac, 2024 - Elle Hartje (F), Yale.