Fan voting for the 2019 Hobey Baker Memorial Award commenced yesterday. While that portion of the process isn’t worth much at all, it’s still a good reminder that college hockey’s top individual award will be doled out in just under three months.
Four out of the last five Hobey Baker Award winners have come from New England schools: Northeastern’s Adam Gaudette (Braintree, Mass.) in 2018, Harvard’s Jimmy Vesey (North Reading, Mass.) in 2016, Boston University’s Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.) in 2015 and Boston College’s Johnny Gaudreau in 2014.
2019 appears to be the year of the defenseman in college hockey, especially when it comes to top players. While there might not be a player born in the region, New England colleges should once again be well represented when the list of 10 finalists is announced in March.
Below is Jeff Cox’s top 10 candidates (as of Jan. 17, 2019) for the 2019 Hobey Baker Award:
Cale Makar
Massachusetts, So., D, 5-11/190, Calgary, Alberta
The 2017 fourth overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche has led the Minutemen to unprecedented heights. Makar has the fourth most points per game of any defenseman in Division I with eight goals and 16 assists in 20 games played. For anyone who’s watched Makar and UMass this season, it’s clear as day that he is the best player in college hockey.
Chase Priskie
Quinnipiac, Sr., D, 6-0/192, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Priskie’s 13 goals is the most by a defenseman in the nation and he has added 14 assists to have the third most points per game, which ranks third nationally among blue liners. He’s a possession-driving machine and he’s fired 88 shots on goal, most in the country among defensemen. Get the drift? Priskie, property of the Washington Capitals, is a dynamic, offensive defenseman who leads one of the best blue lines in the nation. After a dip last season, the Bobcats appear to be back in contention for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Quinn Hughes
Michigan, So., D, 5-10/175, Orlanda, Fla.
Hughes, the seventh overall pick of the Vancouver Canucks at the 2018 NHL Draft, has three goals and 19 assists in 19 games. His 19 assists is tops in the nation. Watch his stride and it looks so effortless. It’s as if his blades barely hit the ice. He’s extremely smooth and can change the tone of the game in an instant.
Jimmy Schuldt
St. Cloud, Sr., D, 6-1/205, Minnetonka, Minn.
Schuldt, the top un-drafted NHL free agent among this year’s class of Hobey Baker Award candidates, chose to return to school for his senior season, despite having numerous offers. So far this season he has two goals and 16 assists, but he’s more of a complete two-way defenseman than some of his peers in this top 10. He has good size and has several NHL organizations following his every move. It doesn’t hurt his cause that he’s the best player on one of the best teams in the land.
Adam Fox
Harvard, Jr., D, 5-10/185, Jericho, N.Y.
Fox will be hurt by Harvard’s mediocre season to date, but the Carolina Hurricanes prospect is another game-changing threat from the backend. He has seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points in 15 games. He ranks first nationally among defensemen in points per game and assists per game. He’s a wizard moving pucks north, he jumps into the rush, and quarterbacks a power play efficiently.
Mason Jobst
Ohio State, Sr., C, 5-8/180, Speedway, Ind.
Jobst is an undersized forward who has paced the Buckeyes’ offense for several years now. He has 13 goals and 12 assists in 22 games. His seven power play tallies is tied for second most in the country. There are some other forwards, including some in his own league, who are having a better year, but he’ll get some extra credit for the career achievement. It happens every season.
Joe Snively
Yale, Sr., LW, 5-9/165, Herndon, Va.
Snively is quietly putting up big numbers in his final season with the Bulldogs. He’s got 10 goals and 11 assists in 16 games played. His points per game total is third best among forwards in ECAC Hockey. Ask opposing coaches who’ve faced Yale and they’ll all reiterate that Snively is the real deal.
Ryan Kuffner
Princeton, Sr., LW, 6-1/195, Ottawa, Ontario
Kuffner’s teammate, Max Verroneau, made the top 10 finalists a year ago, but this season it might be his turn. Kuffner has 13 goals and 13 assists in 19 games for the high-flying Tiger offense. He might not be the skater that Verroneau is, but he plays a heavier game and scores a lot of goals in the greasy areas.
Joseph Duszak
Mercyhurst, Jr., D, 5-10/185, Franklin Square, N.Y.
Duszak, who played junior hockey for the PAL Islanders in the USPHL, has come onto the scene in a major way. His 29 points is most of any defenseman in the country and he ranks second among defensemen in points per game. He has 11 goals and 18 assists while earning interest from NHL organizations as an un-drafted free agent as well as other college programs hoping to scoop him up for a grad transfer season.
Scott Perunovich
Minnesota Duluth, So., D, 5-10/175, Hibbing, Minn.
After leading the NCAA Champion Bulldogs in scoring as a freshman, Perunovich was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in his third season of draft eligibility last June. He has two goals and 16 assists in 20 games played this season as UMD is once again poised to make a run to the national tournament.
