Vancouver Canucks prospect and 2015 fifth-round pick Adam Gaudette has been nominated for the NCAA’s Hobey Baker Award, presented to the best player in NCAA Division 1 Hockey for his play with Northeastern University.
Gaudette, who is in his junior season with Northeastern, has amassed 35 points (17 goals and 18 assists) in 22 games, good for sole possession of first place in NCAA Div. 1 scoring. If you adjust for points per game, Gaudette is still in first place, with a gaudy 1.59 points per game. That scoring has helped Northeastern to a 14-5-3 record and an eighth ranking.
In 100 games in the NCAA, Gaudette’s scored 117 points (55 goals and 62 assists). It’s been a surprising turn given his paltry scoring in the USHL during his draft year, and a credit to both the player and the Canucks scouting and development staff for bucking long odds.
Adding a Hobey Baker Award in what is likely Gaudette’s final university season would be a nice end to this chapter of his story, which, at this rate, probably includes some time in the NHL in the not-so-distant future. The hope is that Gaudette will join the Canucks, perhaps as early as the end of this season even.
Per the Northeastern press release, fans can vote daily for the Hobey Baker Award. Here’s an explanation of the process, directly from Northeastern’s website…
The selection process for the award is in three parts. First, the head coaches of NCAA Division I schools nominate the top three players in their league and the top three players in the nation. College hockey fans can also vote online at this time—and fan voting can be an important factor in the balloting outcome. Price Waterhouse Coopers tabulates the votes and the top 10 candidates are announced.
Voting then commences for the “Hobey Hat Trick,” which is a narrowing of the field from ten players to three, from which the winner is selected. The primary voting in this part of the process is by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Selection Committee, a geographically balanced group of 27 individuals representing print and electronic sports media, college hockey coaches and officials, and NHL scouts. Fans may also vote online for their favorite candidate during this phase of the process.
After the three finalists for the award are announced (“Hobey Hat Trick”), the countdown begins toward the announcement of the award winner in a nationally televised ceremony.
So, vote early and often, and let’s see one of the Canucks own go on to win the most prestigious award in NCAA Div. 1 hockey.