Winnipeg hockey fan Earl Cook, who died following a battle with cancer, has received a special NHL Alumni Association award for courage.

Cook, who captured Canadians' hearts with his lifelong health battles and love of hockey, had planned to accept the Ace Bailey Award of Courage himself on Monday, but he died on Sept. 18 of kidney failure.

Debbie Hopkins, Earl Cook's foster mother, accepts the Ace Bailey Award of Courage on Cook's behalf Monday in Toronto. NHL Alumni Association

His foster mother, Debbie Hopkins, accepted the award on Cook's behalf, the CBC's Reg Sherren reported from the ceremony.

Cook had been fighting cancer for the last 4½ years. He was diagnosed in 2007 with osteogenic sarcoma, a cancerous bone tumour, which resulted in one of his legs being amputated.

Even before the cancer diagnosis, Cook faced considerable adversity in his life. Born prematurely with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, he also had Asperger's syndrome, Tourette syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

But despite his health challenges, Cook learned to play hockey and loved it. He switched to sledge hockey after he lost his leg, and he helped coach a high-school team.

"Earl always believed that you should never give up on your dreams, that tough times don't last and tough people do, and that hockey is the best sport in the world," Hopkins told CBC News in a Sept. 18 interview.

A Detroit Red Wings fanatic, Cook developed a friendship with head coach Mike Babcock, often serving as an inspiration to the entire NHL team.

Earlier this year, Cook learned that he was the recipient of this year's Ace Bailey Award, which recognizes those who have shown exceptional courage and determination in life.

Hopkins said Cook had invited Babcock and some other friends to join him at the awards ceremony in Toronto.

Babcock travelled to Toronto on Monday to present the award to Cook's family, according to a Red Wings release.