Danbury Hat Tricks Coach Honored for Patriotic Speech, Appears on National TV

Since the now-famous locker room speech that went viral earlier this year, Danbury Police Sergeant John Krupinsky has been a guest on Fox Nation and Fox and Friends about twice a month, and he returned on Thursday morning (November 7) to talk about receiving a Fox Nation Patriot Award at the inaugural ceremony Wednesday night.

It all started during a pre-season locker room speech at Danbury Arena about respecting the National Anthem, and telling his team that anyone who wanted to protest during the playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" should quit immediately. Since that speech, the video has been viewed over 40 million times.

The awards ceremony was held in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Sgt. Krupinsky was presented with the Most Patriotic Sportsman of the Year Award by NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry, which will air on Fox Nation, as well as on Fox News on Nov. 24.

During his Thursday morning appearance on Fox & Friends, Krupinsky explained that the experience has been "very humbling," and that he is often asked by coaches around the country to address their teams in a similar fashion. "They've asked, 'Hey, our team's getting ready. We're going to a game Friday.'" said Krupinsky. "And, every time these guys call, I'll send them a quick video and talk to the team and stuff."

Prior to becoming a nationally known hockey coach, Sgt. Krupinsky has been a longtime member of the Danbury Police Department, serving as a cop for 38 years.

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