Cranston’s Brittney Bidwell was in some mighty select company Sunday afternoon inside Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick.

The East High senior-to-be sat on stage with some of the biggest names in professional hockey, legends like one-time Boston Bruins star Don McKenney, Jack Ferreira, who is now in the Los Angeles Kings front office and recent American Hockey League Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Cline.

She was also seated among two dozen or so former pros whose names appeared on the history-steeped rosters during the legendary 51-year history of the Rhode Island Reds, who won the Calder Cup Championship in 1955-56 and dazzled this state’s hockey fans for 51 years at the Rhode Island Auditorium.

Bidwell watched – and listened – to emcee Tom McDonough talk about the greatness of stars like McKenney, who received the Society’s Tops Award that’s given in memory of all-time Reds great Zellio Toppazzini. She heard stories about Ferreira, the Fox Point native who has enjoyed a career in hockey administration with five NHL clubs and was honored with the R.I. Native Son Award.

There were other presentations like the “Fan of the Year” Award to the late Larry D’Alfonso, and Toppazzini’s widow Phyllis was presented with Frankie Galasso’s famed cartoon of the rooster crying when “Topper” passed away.

Bidwell was also showered with accolades from McDonough and Rick Scherza, a one-time Cranston Public Schools administrator and son of the late Reds great Chuck Scherza, whose name is affixed to one of three “Unsung Hero” Awards the Society presented to four high school hockey standouts.

Bidwell was honored with the prestigious Chuck Scherza Award, the legendary forward, who was a standout forward with the one-time AHL franchise.

Three other high school stars – Victoria Hartley (La Salle goalie); Zachary Librizzi (St. Raphael Academy forward): and Davie Gaulin (Smithfield defensemen) – were honored with “Unsung Hero” Awards for their performances during the recently completed high school season.

Bidwell, who has aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, only started playing ice hockey three years ago when she was a freshman, but has gained the reputation of being a strong player and the hardest worker on the Cranston/East Greenwich co-op team.

“Brittney has learned her ice hockey lessons so well that she’s now a front line center,” offered P.J. Bessette, the team’s coach. “She also augments her hockey activities with a part-time job and studies. We were all thrilled when we learned she was selected for an honor that’s named in memory of such a great professional hockey player like Chuck Scherza.”

Her honor is also a credit to her mother Teresa, as the “Unsung Hero” winners are selected by a committee that considers the player’s academics, sportsmanship, team play and support, school/community support, hardships and obstacles overcome, perseverance, leadership, hockey ability and other intangible qualities.

Bidwell is ranked 29th in the Cranston High East Class of 2017.