Norristown teacher Donald Conaway Jr. has been recognized by the National Hockey League as one of the best teachers in the nation, writes Dan Koob for CBS Philly.

Conaway, who has used hockey to teach his students math and science for the past six years, has been awarded NHL’s Future Goals Most Valuable Teacher for March.

“I actually didn’t find out about winning until I walked out the doors to see a large group of my colleagues,” said Conaway.

After winning the award, Conaway, who teaches at Eisenhower Middle School, also won a grant for $10,000 for the Norristown Area School District. He was also surprised by a message from his favorite player, Carter Hart.

“Just wanted to be the first to congratulate you on winning the NHL Teacher of the Month,” said Hart.

The teacher was delighted to receive the message.

“For me as a fan, it made me feel like a 10-year-old kid getting a message from a player,” said Conaway.

He added that the money he was awarded will help fund a new STEM lab for the school and create innovative new ways to teach nearly 900 students.

Read more about Donald Conaway in CBS Philly.