The 2013 Hobey Baker Award finalists are (alphabetically):
Greg Carey, St. Lawrence; Carsen Chubak, Niagara; Johnny Gaudreau, Boston College; Eric Hartzell, Quinnipiac; Corban Knight, North Dakota; Danny Kristo, North Dakota; Drew LeBlanc, St. Cloud State; Ryan Walters, Nebraska Omaha.
Knight, a native
of High River, Alberta, is tied for seventh in the national scoring race with a
career-high 48 points, including a career-high 33 assists. He is tied for
second nationally in assists and leads the country with 24 first assists.
Knight has reached the scoresheet in 31 games, more than any other player. The
national player of the month in December, Knight has also won more than 58
percent of his faceoffs and leads the nation with 571 faceoff wins, 78 more
than any other player. Earlier this season, Knight put together a 19-game point
streak that was UND’s longest in 25 years and the fourth-longest in school
history. He led all 77 national candidates in fan voting during Phase I of
‘Vote for Hobey,’ receiving more than twice as many votes as the next-closest
player.
A
physical education, exercise science and wellness major, Knight received the
team’s Archie Krum Memorial Athletics Scholarship last season as the player who
“demonstrates leadership qualities, high academic standards and athletic
excellence. He is also a two-time recipient of the Ken and Marcia Nelson Impact
Scholarship. Knight has logged more than 50 hours of community service in his
career, including 40 over the past two seasons alone with organizations such as
Special Olympics, Northlands Rescue Mission, Altru Health System, and Grand
Forks Park District.
Kristo,
a native of Eden Prairie, Minn., ranks third nationally in scoring with a
career-high 50 points, including a WCHA-leading 24 goals. He leads the nation
in points (36), goals (19) and points per game (1.50) since Dec. 8 and led the
WCHA with three goals in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, all coming in
the third period. A two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week, Kristo is tied
for the WCHA lead with two shorthanded goals and is tied for second with five
game-winning goals. He has six games of 3-plus points this season, tied for
third-most in the nation, and leads the team with 14 multi-point games. He
enters the WCHA Final Five having reached the scoresheet in 12 of his last four
games.
A
recreation and tourism studies major, Kristo leads all active NCAA Division I
men’s hockey players in career points (159) and goals (66, tied). He has also
logged approximately 50 hours of community service in his career to
organizations such Special Olympics, Northlands Rescue Mission, Mortar Board,
Grand Forks Public Library and the Empire Arts Center.
Knight and
Kristo are UND’s 22nd and 23rd finalists since the
award's inception in 1979-80, and the first since Matt Frattin was a Hobey Hat
Trick (top three) finalist two years ago. It is the third time UND has had two
finalists in the same season. Jean-Philippe Lamoureux and T.J. Oshie were
finalists in 2007-08, and Zach Parise and Brandon Bochenski were finalists in
2003-04.
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
23-member Selection Committee and an additional round of fan balloting (at www.hobeybakeraward.com from March 21-31)
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 3, 2013 and the
Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday, April 12, 2013 from Consol
Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA during the NCAA Frozen Four. The award
announcement will be televised live on NHL Network or live on the Hobey Baker
website at 6:00 p.m. ET.
UND's
Hobey Baker Award Finalists
James Patrick (1982-83)
Jon Casey (1983-84)
Scott Sandelin (1985-86)
Tony Hrkac (1986-87)
Steve Johnson (1987-88)
Russ Parent (1989-90)
Greg Johnson (1990-91, 1991-91 & 1992-93)
Jason Blake (1996-97, 1997-98)
Curtis Murphy (1997-98)
Jeff Panzer (1999-2000, 2000-01)
Zach Parise (2002-03, 2003-04)
Brandon Bochenski (2003-04)
Ryan Duncan (2006-07)
Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (2007-08)
T.J. Oshie (2007-08)
Matt Frattin (2010-11)
Corban Knight (2012-13)
Danny Kristo (2012-13)
*Bold indicates Hobey Baker Award winner
