ST. PAUL – It used to be a rarity for an underclassman to finish high in the running for college hockey’s top individual honor. But the field of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award which was named on Wednesday reflects the growing domination of younger players in the college game.
Freshmen and sophomores make up half of the 10-person list, which includes (alphabetically):
– Jackson Blake, North Dakota sophomore forward
– Macklin Celebrini, Boston University freshman forward
– Jack Devine, Denver junior forward
– Cutter Gauthier, Boston College sophomore forward
– Collin Graf, Quinnipiac junior forward
– Lane Hutson, Boston University sophomore defenseman
– Kyle McClellan, Wisconsin senior goalie
– Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross junior forward
– Sam Morton, Minnesota State Mankato senior forward
– Will Smith, Boston College freshman forward
Criteria for the award, which began in 1981 with Minnesota star Neal Broten grabbing the trophy, are: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship, and scholastic achievements.
The underclassmen domination is a trend over the past few seasons. Last year’s three finalists for the award were a freshman and sophomore from Minnesota (Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies) and a rookie from Michigan – Adam Fantilli – who won the award.
The three Hobey Hat Trick finalists will be announced on April 4, with the 2024 winner revealed on Friday, April 12 in St. Paul as part of Frozen Four weekend. The announcement will be televised on NHL Network.
Matt Stone / TNS
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