Major College Hockey Awards Handed Out

Four major college hockey awards were handed out Friday night at the NCAA Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

Sophomore forward Max Plante (Minnesota-Duluth) earned this year's Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's college hockey. Hailing from Hermantown, Minn., he paced the Bulldogs with career-high totals of 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 points in 40 games, while also leading UMD to the NCAA tournament. He is the 11th player from the state of Minnesota to win the Hobey Baker, and the seventh Bulldog, both tops among the award's 44 winners all-time.

Junior netminder Trey Augustine (Michigan State) claimed this year's Mike Richter Award as the nation's top goaltender. A native of South Lyon, Mich., he fashioned a 24-9-1 record in 34 games this past season, with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage, while earning Big Ten Goaltender of the Year accolades. He is now a member of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. 

Senior forward Meg Simon (Middlebury) was the 2026 recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award. Originally from East Grand Rapids, Mich., she is the fifth skater from the NCAA Division III ranks to earn the award. She serves as the Co-Chair of Volunteering for Middlebury's women’s hockey program, and has worked with the Middlebury Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) and Special Olympics Vermont, among other organizations, both on and off campus. Simon tallied two assists in 39 career games with the Panthers while helping them to three NCAA tournament berths and two semifinal appearances.

Senior forward Kevin Anderson (Princeton) was this year's recipient of the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, named for the late Army skater, and which is bequeathed to the player judged to best exemplify sportsmanship, competitiveness, intelligence and work ethic. Anderson, from Regina, Sask., has helped create and cultivate the “Tiger Pals” program that pairs Princeton student-athletes with local children who need strong, consistent mentorship, and has also hosted his “Tiger Pals” program at Hobey Baker Rink for skates, games and social gatherings with the Tigers, while also serving with Team IMPACT. He finished his college career with 7-11-18 points in 87 games for Princeton, which came within an overtime goal of this year's NCAA tournament.

Freshman forward Ethan Wyttenbach (Quinnipiac) was named the winner of the 2026 Tim Taylor Award, which is named after the former longtime Yale head coach and goes to the Rookie of the Year in NCAA Division I men's hockey. A native of Roslyn, N.Y., Wyttenbach  paced all Division I men's scorers with 59 points (25g-34a) this past season while also leading the Bobcats to the NCAA tournament. He was drafted 144th overall by the Calgary Flames in last year's NHL Entry Draft.

Top 10 Hobey Baker Award Finalists Named

The top 10 finalists for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's hockey have been announced (listed by last name with class, position, and 2025-26 stats to date): 

Trey Augustine, Jr., G, Michigan State (23-8-1, 2.09 GAA)

James Hagens, So., F, Boston College (23g-22a—45 pts.)

T.J. Hughes, Sr., F, Michigan (19-31—50)

Gavin McKenna, Fr. F, Penn State (15-36—51)

Max Plante, So., F, Minnesota Duluth (23-25—48)

Erik Pohlkamp, Jr., D, Denver (17-20—37)

Hayden Stavroff, So., F, Dartmouth (28-19—47)

Charlie Stramel, Sr., F, Michigan State (19-25—44)

Felix Trudeau, Sr., F, Sacred Heart (25-22—47)

Ethan Wyttenbach, Fr. F, Quinnipiac (24-34—58)

Wyttenbach leads the nation in points, while Stavroff is first in goals scored and McKenna is second in assists. Five of the finalist have already been drafted by National Hockey League teams, while McKenna is expected to go in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. 

This year's Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced next month during the NCAA Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

Michigan State's Howard Jumps to NHL

Reigning Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Isaac Howard won't be returning to Michigan State University for his final collegiate season. 

Howard, 21, who led the Spartans to back-to-back Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles the last two years, has signed with the NHL's Edmonton Oilers after his rights were traded to the two-time Western Conference champions by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had drafted him 31st overall in 2022.

A native of Hudson, Wisc., Howard led MSU in scoring as a junior last season with 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points in 37 games, and then claimed the Hobey Baker Award. A 5-foot-11, 190-pound left wing, he had earlier been named as the 2024-25 Big Ten Player of the Year, and went on to help Team USA to its first gold medal at the IIHF Men's World Championship since 1933. 

A product of the U.S. National Development Team Program, Howard collected 34-54—88 points in 73 career games over two years with MSU, helping the Green and White to two NCAA tournaments, after transferring from Minnesota-Duluth. He is the third Spartan to ever win the Hobey Baker Award, following center Kip Miller (1990) and goaltender Ryan Miller (2001).

BU's Hutson wins Calder Trophy with Montreal

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (Boston University) has been named the recipient of the 2024-25 Calder Trophy as the top rookie in the National Hockey league.

The North Barrington, Ill. native, a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, tallied six goals and 60 assists for 66 points while playing in all 82 games this past season, twice earning NHL Rookie of the Month accolades. His 66 points is the most-ever by a Montreal rookie, and the fourth-most by an NHL freshman defenseman all-time. He also helped the Canadiens to their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth since 2020 this spring, where the Habs fell to Washington in the first round.

Hutson, 21, who is the first Canadiens player to claim the Calder Trophy since Ken Dryden (Cornell) in 1972, was drafted in the second round (62nd overall) by Montreal in 2022 after skating with the NTDP. He spent the prior two seasons at BU, where he helped the Terriers to consecutive NCAA Frozen Fours (2023, 2024) while tallying 30-67—97 points in 77 games overall. He was also a two-time NCAA First Team All-America selection, and a two-time Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist.

2025 Baker, Richter Award Finalists Announced

The top 10 finalists for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's hockey were announced last week.

• Zeev Buium, So., D, Denver
• Jack Devine, Sr., F, Denver
• Aiden Fink, So., F, Penn State
• Mac Gadowsky, SO., D, Army West Point
• Isaac Howard, Jr., F, Michigan State
• Ryan Leonard, So., F, Boston College
• Ayrton Martino, Sr., F, Clarkson
• Liam McLinskey, Sr., F, Holy Cross
• Jimmy Snuggerud, Jr, F, Minnesota
• Alex Tracy. Jr., G, Minnesota State

Also announced were the four finalists for the 2025 Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey.

• Trey Augustine, So., G, Michigan State
• Albin Boija, So., G, Maine
• Jacob Fowler, So., G, Boston College
• Alex Tracy. Jr., G, Minnesota State

(All players listed by last name along with class, position and school)

The winners for both awards will be announced on April 11 at the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis.

BU's Celebrini Wins 2024 Hobey Baker Award

Macklin Celebrini (Boston University) is the 2024 winner of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

Celebrini, 17, from North Vancouver, B.C., led the Terriers in scoring this season with 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points in 38 outings, although BU's 2023-24 campaign ended in Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss to Denver in an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal in St. Paul, Minn. Celebrini was previously named the 2024 Hockey East Rookie of the Year and the Hockey East Player of the Year, and was also tabbed as a First Team All-America selection. He also earned the Tim Taylor Award as national rookie of the year.

Celebrini is the fourth BU Terrier to win the Hobey Baker Award, and the first since Jack Eichel in 2015. He is also the second straight freshman to garner the award, joining 2023 winner Adam Fantilli (Michigan), and just the fourth freshman overall. He is also the youngest-ever recipient of the Hobey Baker Award. Celebrini is also widely considered to be the likely first overall choice in this year's NHL Entry Draft, which will be held in late June in the Las Vegas area.

Three more major college hockey annual awards were announced on Friday. The Mike Richter Award for best goaltender went to Kyle McClellan (Wisconsin), while Dylan Lugris (Penn State) earned the Hockey Humanitarian Award and Luke Robinson (Air Force) garnered the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award.

2024 Hobey Hat Trick Announced

The Hobey Hat Trick has been announced for 2024. The three skaters left vying for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's hockey are as follows:

• Jackson Blake, So., North Dakota (40 GP, 22-38—60 pts.)
• Macklin Celebrini, Fr., Boston Univ. (37 GP, 32-32—64 pts.)
• Cutter Gauthier, So., Boston College (39 GP, 37-27—64 pts.)

All three are among the top five scorers in the nation, while Gauthier leads Division I with 37 goals. He and Celebrini have also led their respective schools to the NCAA Frozen Four next week in St. Paul, Minn., while Blake's UND squad was eliminated in the regional finals. 

The Hobey Baker Award will be presented to the winner a week from today in Minnesota.

Minnesota State's McKay Wins 2022 Hobey Baker Award

After two decades, a goaltender has again won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation's top college hockey player.

Dryden McKay (Minnesota State) became the first netminder since Michigan State's Ryan Miller to claim the Hobey Baker Award, named for the early 20th century Princeton University star, as announced on Friday in Boston.

A native of Downers Grove, Ill., McKay has compiled a 38-4-0 record in 42 games so far this 2021-22 season, to go along with a 1.27 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage, and 10 shutouts. He leads all NCAA Division I netminders this season in wins (38) and minutes played (2,502), and has set a new NCAA record for victories by one goaltender in a single season. McKay, 24, was also named CCHA Goaltender of the Year and CCHA Player of the Year, and also earned First Team West All-America accolades for the second time in three years.

In other awards news, Devon Levi (Northeastern) was named this season's Mike Richter Award winner as the nation's top goaltender, while Josh Kosack (Union) earned the Hockey Humanitarian Award and Jordan Seyfert of Merrimack was honored with the 2022 Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award. 

McKay has also backstopped MSU (39-4-0) to its second straight NCAA Frozen Four, with the Mavericks defeating Minnesota and 2022 Hobey Baker Award finalist Ben Meyers last night, 5-1, in a national semifinal contest at TD Garden in Boston. MSU will now face Denver and 2022 Hobey Baker Award finalist Bobby Brink tomorrow night for the national title.

Caufield Scores Second Career NHL Goal in OT

Two overtimes, two game-winning goals for Montreal Canadiens rookie forward Cole Caufield (Wisconsin).

Caufield, 20, connected 4:43 into the extra session on Monday night to lift Montreal to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the second career NHL goal for Caufield, who tallied his first-ever goal in the league just two nights earlier when he scored 2:25 into overtime to lift the host Habs to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Caufield now has two goals in five career NHL appearances to date. He joined the Canadiens after first auditioning with Laval (AHL), where he collected two goals and an assist in five outings last month. The 5-foot-7 Stevens Point, Wisc. native was drafted 15th overall by Montreal in 2019. 

The leading scorer in NCAA Division I men's hockey this past season with 30 goals and 52 points, Caufield also won the 2021 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey top's player. He turned pro shortly after scoring his last two collegiate goals in his final appearance with the Badgers, a 6-3 NCAA regional loss to Bemidji State on March 26. He recorded 49 goals over his two seasons at Wisconsin, and added 39 assists for 88 points in 77 career NCAA contests.

Perunovich Wins 40th Hobey Baker Award, Swayman Earns Richter Award

Scott Perunovich (Minnesota-Duluth) has been named the winner of the 40th annual Hobey Baker Memorial Award, as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

Perunovich, 21, from Hibbing, Minn., recorded a career-high 34 assists and 40 points this season in 34 games, and was also named the 2019-20 NCHC Player of the Year. The junior defenseman finished his collegiate career with 20 goals and 95 assists for 105 points in 115 career outings with the Bulldogs, whom he helped to two straight NCAA national titles (2018, 2019), plus a top five national ranking this year. A shot at a third straight NCAA crown was derailed last month by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has canceled almost all major sport seasons.

Perunovich becomes the sixth UMD Bulldog to win the Hobey Baker Award, following Tom Kurvers (1984), Bill Watson (1985), Chris Marinucci (1994), Junior Lessard (2004) and Jack Connolly (2012).

Jeremy Swayman (Maine) was named the winner of the 2019-20 Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey. The junior from Anchorage, Alaska fashioned an 18-10-5 record for the Black Bears this past season with a 2.07 goals-against average and .939 save percentage, along with three shutouts, in backstopping them to a top 20 national ranking. In three seasons in Orono, Swayman, 21, went 47-40-12 in 100 career appearances (2.51, .927, 4 ShO). He was also a finalist for this year's Hobey Baker Award.

Both awards were revealed late Saturday night on ESPN, on an evening when the NCAA Division I men's ice hockey national title game was to have been played in Detroit. Both Perunovich and Swayman have bypassed their senior seasons to sign professional contracts with the NHL clubs that drafted them, Perunovich with the St. Louis Blues and Swayman with the Boston Bruins.

Makar of UMass Wins Hobey Baker Award

Cale Makar (Massachusetts) is the 39th winner of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey for the 2018-19 season. The award was presented on Friday in Buffalo, N.Y., site of this year's Frozen Four. He is the first player from the University of Massachusetts to win the award, and the 10th winner ever out of the Hockey East conference.

Makar, a sophomore defenseman out of Calgary, leads UMass so far this season with 33 assists and 49 points in 40 outings. In 74 career games with the Minutemen, he has posted 21-49—70 points. He was previously named the 2019 Hockey East Player of the Year, and was also a First Team East CCM Hockey All-America selection. He was drafted in the first round (fourth overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Makar and the Minutemen will now face defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2) for the 2018-19 NCAA championship.

2019 Hobey Baker Award Finalists Announced

The Hobey Hat Trick has been announced for 2019.

All three finalists this year for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college's hockey top player are defensemen, in Harvard junior Adam Fox, Massachusetts sophomore Cale Makar, and St. Cloud State senior Jimmy Schuldt. The winner will be announced at 6 p.m. ET on April 12 in Buffalo, site of this year's men's Frozen Four.

The night before the unveiling, Makar and his Minutemen will face Denver in one national semifinal, following defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth against Providence. The two winners will then meet on April 13 for the national title.

Miller Tops All American NHL Goaltenders in Wins

Ryan Miller (Michigan State) became the all-time winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history earlier this week. The East Lansing, Mich. native recorded his 375th career win on Feb. 17 in making 23 saves as the Anaheim Ducks downed defending Stanley Cup champion Washington, 5-2, in California.

Miller, 38, who turned pro in 2002, was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. In 749 career NHL regular-season appearances through Feb. 20, he has fashioned a 376-270-81 record along with a 2.60 goals-against average and 44 shutouts with Buffalo, St. Louis, Vancouver and Anaheim. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2009-10 as the league's top goaltender, and has played in 57 Stanley Cup Playoff contests. He has also represented the U.S. at two World Championships and two Olympic Winter Games, and backstopped the Americans to the Olympic silver medal in 2010.

In three seasons with his hometown MSU, Miller notched a 73-19-12 record over 106 games, with a 1.54 GAA and an NCAA record 26 shutouts. As a sophomore in 2000-01, he went 31-5-4, led the Spartans to the NCAA Frozen Four, and won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's top player.   

Northeastern's Gaudette Wins 2018 Hobey Baker Award

Adam Gaudette of Northeastern University was named Friday as the 2018 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner in St. Paul, Minn. The award, which has been presented since 1981 to the top player in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey, is named for the former Princeton University hockey star of a century ago.

Gaudette, a 6-foot-1, 184-pound junior forward from Braintree, Mass, is the first Hobey Baker winner to hail from Northeastern. He led the Huskies this season with 30 goals and 30 assists for 60 points in 38 games, and paced the nation in both total goals and total points. He also helped NU to its first Beanpot Tournament title in 30 years, notching three goals in a 5-2 championship contest victory over Boston University on Feb. 12.

Gaudette, 21, tallied 68-74—142 points in three seasons at NU, and also helped the Huskies to two NCAA Tournament appearances, plus the 2016 Hockey East tournament championship, its first league title since 1988. He played his final collegiate game in a 3-2 loss to Michigan in an NCAA Northeast Regional semifinal on March 24.

A fifth-round draft choice of the Vancouver Canucks in 2015, Gaudette had played in his first four career NHL games as of Friday. The Canucks close out their 2017-18 campaign on Saturday at Edmonton, while the 2017-18 NCAA season also ends the same night, with Minnesota-Duluth facing Notre Dame for the men’s Division I national title.

Denver's Butcher Wins Hobey Baker Award

University of Denver senior defenseman and team captain Will Butcher is the winner of the 2017 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey. The honor was bestowed upon Butcher on Friday in Chicago, site of this year’s NCAA Frozen Four. The award is presented by the Decathlon Club of Bloomington, Minn.

Butcher becomes the second Denver Pioneer to win the Hobey Baker Award in its 36-year history, and the first since fellow defenseman Matt Carle in 2005. That was the last year that DU, currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, won its most recent of seven NCAA hockey championships.

A native of Sun Prairie, Wis., and a 2013 draft choice of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, Butcher leads all Denver blueliners with seven goals and 30 assists for 37 points to go along with 18 penalty minutes in 42 games so far this season. In three years at DU, he has tallied 28-75—103 points and 53 PIM in 157 career outings, along with 15 power-play and four game-winning goals.

Also on Friday, Denver junior goaltender Tanner Jaillet copped the 2017 Mike Richter Award, which is annually awarded to the most outstanding netminder in NCAA men's hockey. In 37 outings so far this season, the Red Deer, Alta. native has posted a 27-5-4 record with a 1.83 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. Denver head coach Jim Montgomery won the Spencer T. Penrose Award earlier in the week as Division I men's hockey's top coach.

Butcher, Jaillet, Montgomery and Denver will look to cap the 2016-17 campaign with a national title on Saturday night, when the Pioneers meet Minnesota-Duluth in the national title game at the United Center (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Hobey Baker Award Finalists Revealed

The Hobey Hat Trick has been announced.

The three finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award in NCAA Division I men’s college hockey are Northeastern University senior forward Zach Aston-Reese, University of Denver senior defenseman Will Butcher, and Union College senior forward Mike Vecchione.

Aston-Reese, who recently signed a professional contract and has been playing with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL), finished the 2016-17 NCAA campaign with 31 goals and 32 assists for a career-high 63 points in 38 games. The Staten Island, N.Y. native is tied with Vecchione as the leading scorer in the nation.

Butcher, the only Hobey Baker finalist still skating in college this season, and the only NHL draft choice of the trio, is pacing all Pioneers' blueliners with 7-29—36 points through 41 outings. The Sun Prairie, Wis. native will complete his collegiate career at the NCAA Frozen Four in Chicago on April 6-8, with Denver slated to face Notre Dame in the second semifinal game, following Harvard against Minnesota-Duluth. Butcher was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Vecchione, the all-time leading scorer in Union's Division I hockey history, was a contributing member of the Dutchmen’s 2014 NCAA championship squad. The Saugus, Mass. product led all Union skaters this season with individual career scoring highs of 29-34—63 points in 38 appearances, and led all ECAC players with 20-24—44 points in 25 league games. Undrafted, he recently signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The 2017 Hobey Baker winner will be announced on April 7 in Chicago.

Connolly Wins Hobey Baker Award

Minnesota-Duluth senior forward and Duluth native Jack Connolly is the winner of the 2012 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in college hockey. He was honored on Friday in Tampa, Fla., the site of this year's NCAA Frozen Four.

Connolly, who helped his hometown Bulldogs to their first-ever national title last spring, was second overall to fellow Hobey Baker finalist Spencer Abbott of Maine with 20 goals and 40 assists for 60 points this winter. Austin Smith of Colgate, the third Hobey Baker finalist this year, led the nation with 36 goals.

“Just to hear my name, it’s a feeling that’s pretty much unexplainable," said Connolly at NCAA.com.

Connolly tallied 66-131—197 points in 166 outings with UMD, never missing a game in his collegiate career, and led the Bulldogs in points his last three campaigns while also being named a first-team All-WCHA choice in each of those years.

He is the fifth Bulldog to win the Hobey Baker, joining Tom Kurvers (1984), Bill Watson (1985), Chris Marinucci (1994) and Junior Lessard (2004). UMD now has more Hobey Baker Award winners than any other Division I school.

MSU's Krug Makes NHL Debut with Bruins

Torey Krug became the latest Michigan State Spartan to play in the National Hockey League when he made his pro debut last night at TD Bank Garden in Boston. He fired two shots on goal and also blocked an opposing attempt, while wearing jersey No. 47, in the Bruins’ 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Krug, a 5’9”, 180-pound defenseman from Livonia, Mich., signed with Boston as a free agent on March 25, just two days after MSU was eliminated from the 2012 NCAA Tournament by Union College at the East Regional in Bridgeport, Conn. He assisted on the Spartans’ lone goal in the 3-1 setback for the final point of his collegiate career.

In three seasons in East Lansing, Krug scored 26 goals and added 57 assists for 83 points in 114 appearances. He also tallied 15 power-play goals and seven game-winning goals, and collected a total of 175 penalty minutes.

He led all Central Collegiate Hockey Association defenseman in scoring this season with 12-22—34 points, which also tied him for the overall conference scoring lead, making him the first CCHA blueliner ever to do so and also earning him CCHA Player of the Year accolades.

An All-CCHA Rookie Team selection as a freshman in 2009-10, Krug, 20, was an All-CCHA First Team choice as both a sophomore and a junior, and also served as team captain his final two seasons. As a junior, he was one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top college hockey player in the country in leading MSU to a 19-6-4 record (14-11-3 CCHA). He was also tabbed as the CCHA’s Best Offensive Defenseman his last two seasons.

Defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston is 47-29-4 overall (98 points), and has locked up the second seed in the NHL’s Eastern Conference heading into the start of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs next week. Krug will not be eligible for the postseason because of his late signing, according to the Observer & Eccentric’s web site.