NAHL alums finalists for Hobey Baker, Mike Richter Awards
March 21, 2014
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is very pleased to announce the top ten candidates for the 2014 award honoring college hockey’s top player. The list includes two NAHL alumni in forward Nic Dowd (St. Cloud State) and goaltender CJ Motte (Ferris State).
The ten finalists were selected by voting from all 59 Division I college hockey head coaches and by online fan balloting at www.hobeybakeraward.com. Next, the 27-member Selection Committee and an additional round of fan balloting (at www.hobeybakeraward.com from March 20-30) will determine this year’s Hobey Baker winner. Criteria for the award include: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements. The Hobey Hat Trick (three finalists) will be announced on April 2, 2014 and the Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday, April 11, 2014 from Philadelphia, PA during the NCAA Frozen Four.
The NAHL also is pleased to announce the former NAHL and Odessa Jackalopes goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is one of five finalists for the Mike Richter Award, which is a new award created this season that honors the top goaltender in NCAA Division I hockey.
A former member of the NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild, Dowd was a big part of St. Cloud State clinching the first ever NCHC regular season title. Already honored as First Team all-conference, Dowd, captain of the Huskies and tied for the team lead in points, is a finalist for four other league awards: Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, Defensive Forward of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The newly remodeled WCHA found Ferris atop the league thanks to Motte, Traverse City North Stars alum, and his nation leading 26 wins. Ferris was ranked in the top five in the country for 15 weeks, propelled by a 16-game unbeaten streak and Motte didn’t lose a game in the first half of the season. A First Team all-conference selection, Motte has helped Ferris to two regular season titles in three years.
Hellebuyck, an NAHL alumni of the Odessa Jackalopes, Hellebuyck, was tabbed by the 11 Hockey East head coaches as the best goaltender in the league this season. He is the fifth goaltender in school history to be named to the Hockey East All-Star team and the third First-Team goalie in team history. In league play, Hellebuyck started 16 of 20 games for UMass Lowell and he posted a 9-5-2 record with a 1.99 GAA that ranked third among Hockey East goaltenders and his .935 save percentage was fourth best in conference action. He also totaled three shutouts for the River Hawks.
