22 NAHL Alumni Nominated for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award
22 North American Hockey League (NAHL) alumni have been nominated for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. The award is known as the most prestigious award in college hockey, as it annually recognizes the top NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey player. The Hobey Baker Memorial Award does not only consider an athlete’s hockey skills or stats on the ice; it recognizes an athlete who embodies an assortment of qualities like sportsmanship and character. The NAHL is proud to have eight former athletes win this prestigious award.
The 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award will mark the 45th year of recognizing an athlete who has strength of character, on and off the ice, and contributes to the integrity of the team while having outstanding skills in all phases of the game. The athlete also has scholastic achievement in the classroom while showing sportsmanship. Lastly, the award winner complies with all NCAA rules, including being a full-time student and completing at least 50 percent of the season.
2025 Hobey Baker Award Nominees with NAHL ties:
Atlantic Hockey America
Dustin Geregach, Mercyhurst University, Sr. (Johnstown Tomahawks, 2020-22)
Jay Ahearn, Niagara University, Sr. (Johnstown Tomahawks, 2020-21)
Mac Gadowsky, Army West Point, So. (Fairbanks Ice Dogs & Springfield Jr. Blues, 2021-23)
Shane Ott, Niagara University, Sr. (Janesville Jets, 2020-21)
Walter Zacher, Robert Morris University, So. (Austin Bruins, 2020-23)
Big Ten
Gavin Morrissey, University of Wisconsin, Fr. (Austin Bruins, 2021-23)
CCHA
Alex Tracy, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Jr. (Johnstown Tomahawks, 2019-20)
Caiden Gault, Ferris State University, Fr. (Aberdeen Wings, 2020-21)
Mattias Sholl, Bemidji State University, Sr. (Fairbanks Ice Dogs, 2018-20)
Ryan Ouellette, Northern Michigan University, Sr. (Minnesota Wilderness, 2019-20)
ECAC
Arthur Smith, Princeton University, So. (Lone Star Brahmas, 2021-23)
Brett Chorske, Colgate University, Sr. (St. Cloud Norsemen, 2020-21)
John Prokop, Union College, Jr. (Janesville Jets, 2018-19)
Lawton Zacher, Brown University, So. (Minot Minotauros, 2022-23)
Nikita Nikora, Dartmouth College, So. (Springfield Jr. Blues, 2022-23)
Will Gilson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Jr. (Aberdeen Wings, 2021-22)
Hockey East
Harrison Scott, University of Maine, Sr. (Amarillo Bulls, 2020-21)
Max Strand, University of Vermont, Fr. (St. Cloud Norsemen, 2020-22)
NCHC
Barrett Hall, St. Cloud State University, So. (Minnesota Wilderness, 2021-22)
Isak Posch, St. Cloud State University, So. (Minnesota Wilderness, 2022-23)
Owen Michaels, Western Michigan University, So. (Bismarck Bobcats, 2020-22)
Independent
Nicholas Grabko, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Gr. (Minot Minotauros, 2017-2019)
Mac Gadowsky (So., Army West Point) leads defensemen nationally with 10 goals and his 24 points place him tied for first among NCAA defensemen. The 6’3 blueliner is currently riding a six-game point streak, tallying six goals and eight assists throughout those games. Gadowsky has earned three Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Week honors this season. While in the NAHL, the blueliner made appearances for both the Springfield Jr. Blues and Fairbanks Ice Dogs. In his 78 games played, the State College, Pennsylvania native logged five goals and dished 27 assists.
Gavin Morrissey (Fr., Univ. of Wisconsin), leads all NCAA freshmen with 27 total points and is ranked second with 18 assists. The 5’11 forward leads Badger skaters with a +16 rating and has points in each of his last eight games. Morrissey spent two seasons with the Austin Bruins. He hit the ice for 101 games for Austin while accumulating 72 total points. During his NAHL tenure, he recorded 72 points (22 goals, 50 assists) and featured a plus-21 rating.
Former Johnstown Tomahawk, Alex Tracy (Jr., Minnesota State University, Mankato), ranks first among all NCAA goaltenders with a 1.44 goals against average, while sitting fourth overall with his .942 save percentage. Tracy served as a keystone piece of the Tomahawks. When the 6’0 Chicago, Illinois native was in the net, he came out victorious in 17 of 24 games played. He featured a 2.12 goals against average and .935 save percentage during his time with the Tomahawks.
The selection process for this award is done in three parts. First, the head coaches of NCAA Division I schools nominate the top three players in their league and the top three players in the nation. College hockey fans can also vote online at this time—and fan voting can be an important factor in the balloting outcome. Fan voting started on January 22, and runs until Sunday, March 9. From the initial nominations, the field will narrow down to the top ten finalists on March 19.
From the top ten, the voting commences for the “Hobey Hat Trick,” this is when the field of nominations narrows from ten athletes to three. The top three athletes will be announced on April 3. The winner is then selected from this trio of athletes and in this phase of the selection process, the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Selection Committee will choose the 2025 winner. The committee is “a geographically balanced group of 29 individuals representing print and electronic sports media, college hockey coaches and officials, and NHL scouts.” There is also a round of fan voting in this step of the process.
After the three finalists for the award (“Hobey Hat Trick”) are announced, the countdown begins toward the announcement of the award winner in a nationally televised ceremony on April 11 during the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis, Missouri.
The most recent NAHL Hobey Baker Award winner was goaltender Dryden McKay in 2022 (Corpus Christi/Springfield Jr. Blues) of Minnesota State University.
