March 28, 2007

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award will be presented on Friday, April 6 in St. Louis. The Hobey Hat Trick finalists were announced on Wednesday, and we present you with some background on each as we anticipate the announcement next week.

HOBEY HAT TRICK FINALISTS (ALPHABETICAL)

David Brown
Notre Dame
Senior | Goalie

 The Buzz: Brown stood out for a surprising Notre Dame team that was ranked atop the national polls for a significant part of the regular season and captured the CCHA regular-season title. Some people might knock him because he didn't face a ton of shots every night, but team defense doesn't affect save percentage, and Brown's was outstanding at .931.

Ryan Duncan
North Dakota
Soph. | Forward

The Buzz: Duncan is the only one of the Hat Trick finalists whose team is playing at the Frozen Four next week. He was voted WCHA Player of the Year two weeks ago, but his team fell short against Minnesota in the Final Five championship game. Once again next week, he'll be honored to receive such a prestigious individual honor, but would certainly trade that in for a team trophy later that same weekend.

Eric Ehn
Air Force
Junior | Forward

 The Buzz: Ehn's standing as a Hat Trick finalist is noteworthy, as he's the first player from Atlantic Hockey or College Hockey America to be honored as a Hat Trick finalist. His numbers were impressive all season, and he finished the year as the nation's leading scorer. His sportsmanship, discipline, and military training might weigh positively on the voters, especially if they consider that Hobey Baker himself was a fighter pilot in World War I.