October 30, 2007

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is presented to a deserving recipient on the day before the last college hockey game of the season. But that doesn’t mean that college hockey fans, players and media members don’t think about it all season. Inside College Hockey's Hobey Tracker looks at the top three candidates for the award, those whose stock is rising or falling, and other players worthy of consideration.

The Hobey Tracker will be updated every other Wednesday morning during the first half of the season, and every Wedneday morning during the second half of the season.

THE BIG BOARD

1. Jean-Philippe
Lamoureux

North Dakota
Senior | Goalie

To Date: 3-1-1, 0.43 GAA, .983 save pct., 4 SHO
The Buzz: In a month in which gaudy goaltending statistics seem to be the norm, Lamoureux’s numbers to date are downright filthy. In five starts, the Fighting Sioux’s alleged weak link is 3-1-1 with a 0.43 goals against average, a .983 save percentage, and four shutouts. Sure, Michigan Tech touched him up for two goals Friday, but has any goalie in any level of hockey ever gotten off to a better start?

2. Kyle Turris
Wisconsin
Fr. | Forward

To Date: 5-7—12, 4 PPG
The Buzz: Take a moment to assess the first four games of Turris’s career: 1-0—1 vs. Notre Dame, 1-2—3 vs. Ohio State, 2-2—4 vs. Robert Morris, and 1-3—4 vs. Bob Mo. As a point of comparison, the last Badger freshman to come in with this much hype — Dany Heatley — scored three goals and three assists in his first four contests. Turris leads the country in points and power-play goals, and ranks second nationally in goals and assists.

3. Kevin Porter
Michigan
Senior | Forward

To Date: 4-3—7, 3 PPG
The Buzz: The Wolverines boast one of the nation’s most balanced offensive attacks — through six games, six players have five or more points. So why is Porter on this list? Well, he’s led a team with 10 freshmen in the lineup on a nightly basis to a 5-1-0 start, including a win over Boston College and sweeps of Boston University and Northern Michigan. And with Miami’s Nathan Davis injured, Porter assumes the role as the country’s best two-way player.

 
BULL MARKET

Joe Whitney
Boston College
Freshman

Forward

It's not uncommon for a smallish forward from a New England prep school to rank among Boston College's leading scorers, and the tradition continues early this season as 5-foot-6 freshman Joe Whitney leads the Eagles with 11 points through six games. Six of his points came last weekend in a home-and-home sweep of Merrimack. Whitney had two goals and two assists in the home victory on Friday, and then added two helpers in Sunday's win at Merrimack.
BEAR MARKET
Nathan Davis
Miami
Senior
Forward
It’s not that Davis has played his way off the Big Board. It’s his teammates who’ve done it for him. Sidelined with a shoulder injury since the first game of the season, Davis has sat idly by while his RedHawk mates have steamrolled their way to the top of the national polls with a 6-0 start — Miami has outscored its opponents by a 28-8 margin during that span. Plenty of contributors have stepped to the fore during that span. Junior Justin Mercier leads the nation with six goals, wings Ryan Jones and Tommy Wingels have four goals apiece, freshman center Carter Camper has eight points, and junior goalie Jeff Zatkoff has posted a 1.20 GAA and a .951 save percentage in five starts.
 
HIDDEN HOBEY

Jordan Alford
Rensselaer
Junior
Goalie

Lamoureux's four shutouts in five starts is indeed impressive and gives merit to his ranking atop our big board. Not far behind those zeroes are the three shutouts that Rensselaer senior Jordan Alford has posted in four starts. In those three shutouts — over Bentley, Sacred Heart, and Colgate — Alford averaged 21 saves per contest. His other start, a 4-1 defeat against Boston College came in a game in which he allowed three power-play goals to the Eagles.