Hobey Hattrick has been announced

The 2014 Hobey Baker Hattrick has been announced. These are the two other players that will sit with Johnny Gaudreau when he wins the Hobey Baker Memorial Trophy on April 11, 2014. Congrats to all three players. They're all good candidates and they're amazing players.

Greg Carey (St. Lawrence University)
Nic Dowd (St. Cloud State)
Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College)

Former UND forward Corban Knight to test free agent market.

Corban Knight is headed for free agency. “@Lowetide_: Jason Gregor with a story about a center with size. Hmmm. http://t.co/qaVktgAsIE”
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDMHockey) June 17, 2013

There has been some speculation on-line this summer where the former Hobey Baker Memorial Candidate might end up. It's beginning to sound like it might be the Edmonton Oilers organization.

Jason Gregor, Edmonton Journal - So why didn’t the Panthers sign the resident of High River?

“After my season finished, we had talks with Florida and negotiations took place, but it turned out it wasn’t going to work out for both parties. We told Florida we were going to wait until free agency (Aug. 15) or a trade,” explained Knight.

The Panthers have drafted Jonathon Huberdeau, Vincent Trocheck, Nick Bjugstad and Quinton Howden in the past three years, and they want to give them a shot. After speaking with the Panthers and looking at their depth chart Knight and his agent felt it was in his best interest to test the free-agent market.

Three teams have contacted the Panthers about acquiring Knight, and the Oilers are one of them, according to my sources. Will they sign another top college free agent two years in a row?

Is Knight ready to play in the NHL this season?

“To be honest, four years ago and even two years ago I would tell you there was no chance that I was ready to step into professional hockey, and more specifically the NHL,” said Knight.

“However, with my development at UND I was able to get stronger and more physically mature, and I’ve taken big steps improving my foot speed. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for the NHL and the guys playing there, it is the best league in the world. However, I think if I was able to come into a training camp, have a good camp and get some lucky breaks, I’d like to think I’d have a chance to crack an opening-day roster.”

Danny Kristo News

Hamilton Bulldogs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is some Danny Kristo news that I found on a Montreal Canadian's blog, I had to use Google Translate because most of us "don't" speak french. [click for the link]

Season that second-round pick in 2008 and ends in the NCAA if we are to believe his remarks in an interview with Radio-Canada, Kristo wants to take his career in the organization of Canadians. Negotiations have even begun. We guess he will join the Hamilton Bulldogs to finish the season there.

In 38 games this season in North Dakota, Kristo has 51 points, including 25 goals. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker awarded to the player by college excellence in the United States.

And do not go into a criminal because at age 21 and he offered beer to his teammates 18, 19 years in a party

Related articles

• UND's Knight, Kristo among Hobey Baker Award Top 10 finalists (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• 2012-2013 Hobey Baker Award Preview (thehockeywriters.com)
• Stoykewych shocks UND in OT. (getrealhockey.com)
• UND Hockey: What Happened, day 2 (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

UND’s Knight, Kristo among Hobey Baker Award Top 10 finalists

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – University of North Dakota senior forwards Corban Knight and Danny Kristo are among the 10 national finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given annually to the top player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey.

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 22^nd and 23^rd 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.

  

For more information, visit the Hobey Baker website at: www.hobeybakeraward.com

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

Charges dropped against UND’s Corban Knight

What do we have here? Looks like the charges were dropped against Hobey Baker Memorial Award Candidate Corban Knight. I always hear how these charges will hurt Knight, well, that argument is now gone.

Grand Forks Herald. --- A misdemeanor charge against UND men’s hockey player Corban Knight was dropped this week in Grand Forks.

Knight was charged with “unlawful deliver to certain persons,” stemming from a team party in September. The charge was for supplying alcohol to the party where there were people under the age of 21.

anny Kristo, Carter Rowney, Joe Gleason and Andrew MacWilliam changed their plea to guilty for the charge.

Let's not forget, that you’re also innocent until proven guilty in this country.

I am sure we'll see some black helicopter stuff written on the internet from fans of other teams in the WCHA and around college hockey. I am sure some of the things we will see written, is how the judge must be a UND fan or how the judge stepped in for Knight because he was a candidate for the Hobey Baker or something along those lines. Yes, I am saying this tongue in cheek, you've got to have a sense of humor. But, it's good news for Knight. From everything that I have heard, Knight is a good, straight laced kid that rarely, if ever swears.

Lets keep the Corban Knight Jihad going.

Let's keep her going, and keep Corban Knight in the lead in fan voting for the Hobey Baker. Click to vote.

Related articles

• Making the case for Corban Knight for Hobey Baker (thehockeywriters.com)
• Why not Corban Knight for the Hobey Baker? (thehockeywriters.com)

Jihad for Corban Knight?

Check it out, I found a link to this page in my stats counter and apparently, it's from the Calgary Flames fan page and apparently according to this author, UND fans are conducting a Jihad in voting for Corban Knight for Hobey Baker. I don't think this Calgary Flames fan realizes what they're fan base is up against, UND has one of the largest fan bases in college hockey.

I thought it was funny especially after it appears that other fans have noticed that you can vote multiple times for your favorite Hobey Baker candidate, but it's not working.

Related articles

• UND fans don't forget to vote for Corban Knight for Hobey Baker (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Making the case for Corban Knight for Hobey Baker (thehockeywriters.com)
• Why not Corban Knight for the Hobey Baker? (thehockeywriters.com)

Blood and Kristo for Hobey.

Image via Wikipedia

Official UND Press Release... 

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota hockey fans can vote for senior defenseman Ben Blood and junior forward Danny Kristo in the 2012 Hobey Baker Award fan balloting, which began today. 

The Hobey Baker Award recognizes the top player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey each year. To submit a vote, visit www.hobeybaker.com and click on the ‘Vote for Hobey Baker’ tab. 

Blood, who logs more minutes than any other UND player, has emerged as one of the top two-way defensemen in NCAA hockey. The Plymouth, Minn., native has played in all 21 games this season, registering two goals and eight assists. Both of his goals have been game-winners, tying him for fifth-most by a UND defenseman in a single season. Blood leads all active UND skaters with 139 games played and has appeared in 121 straight games. His career rating of +40 also tops all active UND players. Last season, Blood led the nation with a +32 rating and was named to his second straight Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) All-Academic Team.

Kristo is tied for the team scoring lead with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 21 games and leads the team with three game-winning goals. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native has figured in on seven of UND’s 11 game-winning goals this season, scoring three and assisting on four. He is also tied for the team lead among forwards with a +5 rating and has enjoyed eight multi-point games this season. The 2009-10 WCHA Rookie of the Year, Kristo is UND’s active scoring leader with 88 points (34g, 54a) in 96 career games.

This first phase of fan balloting will run now through March 4, 2012. Phase two of fan balloting will begin on March 16 from the list of Top 10 Hobey Baker finalists. The fan vote accounts for a full 1 percent of the total ballot in each phase in selecting this year’s award recipient.

UND has had two previous Hobey Baker Award winners: Ryan Duncan in 2006-07 and Tony Hrkac in 1986-87. UND’s 19 Hobey Baker Award finalists are tied for the most in the nation with Michigan State and Boston College.

Related articles

• WCHA Power Rankings - January 8 (insidehockey.com)

Gare Joyce on Ryan Duncan

Check this out:
Here is an interesting perspective from a great hockey mind, I think it is possible that Ducan might get a look at the next level after his days in college are over. Thank God he is coming back for this year at least though.

Gare Joyce On Duncan

It's a heckuva pedigree. One story listed him at 5'6" and another at 5'8". Betting the former is closer. That's what they list on the team website. UND got off to a rocky start but got rolling later on in the season. In the old NHL I doubt he'd get a look--he didn't, in fact. An '85 birthday, he was eligible for the 2003 draft, when he would have been about 130 pounds soaking wet. Nowadays? Would seem like a worthwhile gamble. Look at that pic -- he's hardly bigger than the player on the trophy.

Its Official Ryan Duncan is the Hobey Baker Memorial Winner

Hobey Duncan

I feel that Ryan Duncan is a very deserving recipient of this prestigious award. It's a great honor for a awesome hockey player that plays in the toughest league in college hockey. Although I am sure that the award it's probably a bitter sweet feeling and I am sure Ryan would trade in his Hobey Baker Memorial Award for a NCAA title I think it's great to see a Fighting Sioux hockey player finally receive this award. While some will poo-poo Duncan winning the award and will say that he isn't even the best player on his team, Duncan was the most valuable player in the WCHA this season.