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March 11, 2009
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 weekly
during the remainder of the season.
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THE
BIG BOARD |
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1.
Colin Wilson
Boston University
Sophomore | Forward |
To
Date: 34 GP, 14-32–46, +16, 6 PPG,
1 SHG, 3 GWG
The Buzz: Wilson continues to
lead one of the nation’s best teams in scoring
and the sophomore is showing the kind of promise
that made him the seventh overall draft pick by
the Nashville Predators in the 2008 NHL Entry
Draft. His decision to return to BU for a sophomore
season has paid dividends for him personally and
for the Hockey East champioin Terriers.
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2.
Ryan Stoa
Minnesota
Junior | Forward |
To
Date: 33 GP, 21-20—41, 4 PPG, 3
SHG, 3 GWG, +13
The Buzz: Minnesota has been
all over the place this season, but Stoa hasn't.
He started the year with 19 points in 11 games
and closed the regular season with five goals
and two assists in his last five. So what happened
in the middle 18 games? Well, Stoa had 7-11—18
during that stretch, but missed one of those games
with an injury and was tossed early in two others
with major penalties. Don't forget he played half
those games without one of his two regular linemates,
Jay Barriball and Jordan Schroeder.
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3.
Brad Thiessen
Northeastern
Junior | Goalie |
To
Date: 23-9-4, 2.12 GAA, .931 save pct.,
3 SHO
The Buzz: Thiessen remains in
the third spot on the latest Hobey Tracker after
wrapping up a stellar regular season. He is one
of two goalies in the country to have made 1,000
saves this season (Michigan State’s Jeff
Lerg is the other). We’d like to see a bit
more consistency, however. He allowed a total
of five goals in five games as Northeastern went
3-0-2, but allowed 17 in the six games before
that.
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| BULL
MARKET |
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Ryan Duncan
North Dakota
Senior
Forward
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Although
the Fighting Sioux's improbable run to the MacNaughton
Cup was a collaborative effort, Duncan has been
the primary catalyst for the team's second-half
surge. The 2007 Hobey Baker Award winner scored
18 points over North Dakota's last 16 games –
the Sioux were 11-2-3 during that stretch. He
had an eight-game point streak snapped in Saturday's
regular-season finale at Wisconsin. |
| BEAR
MARKET |
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Jamie
McBain
Wisconsin
Junior
Defenseman
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Remember
a few weeks ago when McBain was on our Hobey Big
Board and the Badgers were poised to make a run
at the MacNaughton Cup? Since then, Wisconsin
went 1-4-1 to end up third in the WCHA. McBain,
meanwhile, still leads Bucky in scoring with 34
points, but has none in the last six games. It's
no surprise the Badgers and McBain slumped simultaneously
– Wisconsin is 4-10-2 in games in which
McBain is held scoreless. |
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HIDDEN
HOBEY |
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Brock
Bradford
Boston College
Senior
Forward |
Bradford’s
status is only hidden in the sense that he’s
fallen off the radar during a decidedly average
overall season for the Eagles, by their lofty
standards. A sixth-place finish doesn’t
do much to call attention to the players who make
things go, but Bradford has been BC’s unquestionable
go-to guy. He leads the team with 23 goals and
40 points – 14 points more than the team’s
second-highest scorer, Brian Gibbons. Bradford
capped the regular season with a five-game point
streak and eight points in that stretch. |
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