Johnny Gaudreau First Career NHL Goal (Video)

Former Boston College Eagle and Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Johnny Gaudreau scores his first NHL goal, in his first game with the Calgary Flames.

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 signs with Flames

Not clear yet whether Corban Knight becomes UFA on July 1st or 5th but won't matter - agreed to terms on 2-yr entry level deal with CGY.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 18, 2013

Former UND forward Corban Knight is taking his talents to his native Alberta, Canada. Knight's rights were  traded to the Calgary Flames and according to TSN's Bob McKenzie, Knight has also signed a two year entry level deal with the Flames.

NHL.com --- The Calgary Flames on Tuesday acquired center Corban Knight from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.

According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, Knight then reached agreement with the Flames on a two-year entry-level contract.

Knight, a 2009 fifth-round (No. 135) selection by the Panthers, just completed his fourth season at the University of North Dakota where he was a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top collegiate hockey player.

"Corban Knight is a player our scouts have been watching closely throughout his collegiate career," Flames general manager Jay Feaster said in a statement released by the team.

He led the Fighting Sioux in assists (33) and was second in goals (16) and points (49) and third in penalty minutes (40). He finished his college career with 52 goals and 94 assists for 146 points along with 145 penalty minutes in 161 games.

St. Cloud State Will Rename Hockey Arena After Herb Brook

Alternate St. Cloud State Husky logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I think this is an awesome and also a very classy move by Saint Cloud State University. Herb Brooks was a big part of the Huskies move to Division I hockey during the 1986-87 season.

Brooks was also a big part of Minnesota college hockey as well as Olympic hockey.

ASSOCIATED PRESS --- St. Cloud State will rename its hockey arena after Herb Brooks, the coach who guided the United States Olympic team to a gold medal in 1980. He also helped lead the St. Cloud State men’s hockey team’s move to N.C.A.A. Division I. Brooks died in an automobile accident in 2003.

According to the Saint Cloud Times, the National Hockey Center will be renamed the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

Related articles

• Sports Briefing | College Hockey: St. Cloud State Will Rename Hockey Arena After Herb Brooks (nytimes.com)

TSN.CA NCAA PLAYER RANKINGS

Over the TSN.CA web site, they have the NCAA Hockey Player rankings. Seven of the top 20 players are WCHA players and two of the top 20 are from UND. It's also interesting, that there are a lot of free agent goalies in the top 20 as well. I would expect Eric Hartzell from QU to get a free agent offer as soon as his team is done with the Frozen Four.

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)

Making the case for Corban Knight for Hobey Baker

Eric Classen / UND Athletics

If you’re a fan of college hockey, you will know that nominations for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award went out this week. You can find the initial list of names on the Hobeybakeraward.com website.

Like any other college hockey fan, I went to the Hobey Baker site to see the names that were listed in the fan voting. Perusing the names, I found a familiar name of a player that I have had the privilege of covering on a weekly basis, over the last year and a half; Corban Knight, Senior, Forward, North Dakota.

As I said in another article, I believe that Knight is a complete player, both on and off of the ice, and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be one of the Hobey Hat Trick (finalists) when it’s all said and done.

I stand by those comments. I am not the only one that is saying these things either.

Knight is an assistant captain for the University of North Dakota and he is a well-liked and respected on and off the ice, by his teammates and the coaching staff.  To a “T” when you ask his teammates – what they think about think him – they all give the same answers.

Corban Knight scores a goal during a recent game… Peter Bottini, UND Athletics

Recently Carter Rowney had to say about his fellow assistant caption.

“He’s a good guy,” Rowney said.  “He lives in the same building as me and everything. Great team player, everyone gets along with him – easy to get along with. Always positive, no matter what’s going on. He’s never down on himself, never down on anyone else, just a positive guy.”

Fellow senior, UND defenseman and Captain Andrew MacWilliams had this to say about Knight being nominated for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

“That’s awesome,” MacWIlliam said.  “I mean he’s [Knight] a hell of a player and he’s a great guy.  I didn’t really know till yesterday, late yesterday. So, that was good to see. I mean, he’s had a great start to the season, I hope that he can keep that up.”

Corban Knight had this to say about him being nominated for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

“It’s an honor just to be mentioned in the running for that,” Knight said. “But I mean, I don’t know personally, I don’t think I should be up for that. I think there are a couple of other guys a little more deserving than I am. But, like I said, it’s an honor to be up for it, but it’s a long way off, so I try not to get caught up in it too much.”

Corban Knight scores a goal during a recent game… Peter Bottini, UND Athletics

Knight was asked if the media is media blowing his hot streak and the Hobey nomination out of proportion.

“I have been saying it all along,” Knight said.  “I think that you guys are blowing everything out of proportion.  Like myself. But, I mean, I think the credit goes to our whole team as a whole. I think the last month and half, everybody on our team, all the way through has been playing exceptionally well. Like I said before, I think that I have been on the receiving end of a lot great plays by my line mates and by the rest of the team and I have been making some plays. My line mates have been burying a lot of really nice plays. So, I think it’s over blown, but that’s just my personal opinion.”

If you have been around Corban Knight for any amount of time, you will figure out that he seldom takes any credit for his accomplishments. Knight is the ultimate teammate and he’s very quick to give credit to his teammates for his personal success. UND head coach Dave Hakstol agrees.

“Corban’s a humble person,” Hakstol said.  “That’s one of the great qualities, that’s what makes him a great leader, such a presence in our looker room.”

Corban Knight in action against Holy Cross
Photo by Eric Classen / UND Athletics

Knight also does many good things off the ice as well. Recently, this is what the head coach Dave Hakstol had to say about his senior forward’s off ice activities.

“What you see is what you get,” Hakstol said. “He’s a great young man, always got a positive perspective. He always pays attention to how he treats people around him. He’s very cognizant of that. He’s always being a leader – not just in our locker room but in the community. He does an awful lot of things in the community that go unnoticed. He doesn’t do it with any fanfare – but he’s always willing to help out.”

While Corban Knight is a pretty solid guy off the ice, he’s one of the top players in the NCAA on the ice as well. Currently, Corban Knight is sitting third nationally in points per game as well as over-all points. During his career, UND is 34-2-2 when he scores a goal. Knight has eight multiple point this season and has scored two or more points in five straight games in a row.

Lastly, Corban Knight’s infectious personality rubs off on others and he does everything with a smile on his face. While winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award would be a nice finish to an illustrious career, he’d probably trade it all in for UND’s eight NCAA title.

Cross posted at the Hockey Writers - Combine.