The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s ice hockey player. It has been awarded 41 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton University and died shortly after World War I.
The original statue for the award was commissioned and awarded by the Decathlon Athletic Club (now defunct) in Bloomington, Minnesota. The model for the award trophy was Steve Christoff, who played for the University of Minnesota and in the National Hockey League.
What School Has the Most Hobey Baker Award Winners?
The University of Minnesota-Duluth has produced more Hobey Baker Award winners than any other school. UMD boasts six winners of the honor. Tom Kurvers was the Bulldogs’ first winner, taking home the trophy in 1984; and Bill Watson won again for Minnesota-Duluth the following year. The other winners from UMD were Chris Marinucci (1994), Junior Lessard (2004), Jack Connolly (2012) and Scott Perunovich (2020). Four of Minnesota-Duluth’s winners – Kurvers, Marinucci, Connolly and Perunovich – were born in the state of Minnesota.
How is the Hobey Baker Award Determined?
There are three steps in selecting a winner for the award. First, the head coaches of the NCAA Division 1 ice hockey programs nominate the top three players in their respective leagues, and then nominate three more nationally. College hockey fans can also participate during this step by voting online. These votes are tabulated by Price Waterhouse Coopers accounting firm, and 10 finalists are announced.
The next step is narrowing it down to three finalists – a group called the “Hobey Hat Trick.” The winner is chosen from these three, and is selected by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Selection Committee. The committee is “a geographically balanced group of 29 individuals representing print and electronic sports media, college hockey coaches and officials, and NHL scouts.” There is also a round of fan voting in this step of the process. Criteria for the award includes: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.
Interesting Facts About the Hobey Baker
- Only three goaltenders have won the Hobey Baker Award. Robb Stauber from the University of Minnesota was the first netminder to win the award in 1988. Michigan State’s Ryan Miller was the second in 2001, and Minnesota State-Mankato’s Dryden McKay became the third when he took home the trophy in 2022.
- More Hobey Baker winners have come from Minnesota than anywhere else. A record 10 winners have hailed from Minnesota, which is as many as the next two states combined. Massachusetts is in second on that list with six winners of the award, while Michigan is third with four winners.
- Only one Hobey Baker Award winner is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. That player is Paul Kariya, who won the award in 1993 while playing for the University of Maine. Kariya played 15 seasons in the NHL and still holds a number of team records for the Anaheim Ducks.
Deeper Dive
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy Winners
| Year | Winner | Pos. | School | Hometown |
| 1980-81 | Neal Broten | C | Minnesota | Roseau, Minn. |
| 1981-82 | George McPhee | LW | Bowling Green | Guelph, Ont. |
| 1982-83 | Mark Fusco | D | Harvard | Burlington, Mass. |
| 1983-84 | Tom Kurvers | D | Minnesota-Duluth | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 1984-85 | Bill Watson | RW | Minnesota-Duluth | Pine Falls, Man. |
| 1985-86 | Scott Fusco | C | Harvard | Burlington, Mass. |
| 1986-87 | Tony Hrkac | C | North Dakota | Thunder Bay, Ont. |
| 1987-88 | Robb Stauber | G | Minnesota | Duluth, Minn. |
| 1988-89 | Lane MacDonald | LW | Harvard | Tulsa, Okla. |
| 1989-90 | Kip Miller | C | Michigan State | Lansing, Mich. |
| 1990-91 | David Emma | C | Boston College | Cranston, R.I. |
| 1991-92 | Scott Pellerin | LW | Univ. of Maine | Shediac, N.B. |
| 1992-93 | Paul Kariya | LW | Univ. of Maine | Vancouver, B.C. |
| 1993-94 | Chris Marinucci | LW | Minnesota-Duluth | Grand Rapids, Minn. |
| 1994-95 | Brian Holzinger | C | Bowling Green | Parma, Ohio |
| 1995-96 | Brian Bonin | C | Univ. of Minnesota | White Bear Lake, Minn. |
| 1996-97 | Brendan Morrison | C | Univ. of Michigan | Pitt Meadows, B.C. |
| 1997-98 | Chris Drury | LW | Boston Univ. | Trumbull, Conn. |
| 1998-99 | Jason Krog | C | New Hampshire | Fernie, B.C. |
| 1999-2000 | Mike Mottau | D | Boston College | Boston, Mass. |
| 2000-01 | Ryan Miller | G | Michigan State | East Lansing, Mich. |
| 2001-02 | Jordan Leopold | D | Minnesota | Golden Valley, Minn. |
| 2002-03 | Peter Sejna | LW | Colorado College | Liptovsky Mikulas, Czechoslovakia |
| 2003-04 | Junior Lessard | RW | Minnesota-Duluth | Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Que. |
| 2004-05 | Marty Sertich | C | Colorado College | Roseville, Minn. |
| 2005-06 | Matt Carle | D | Univ. of Denver | Anchorage, Alaska |
| 2006-07 | Ryan Duncan | LW | North Dakota | Calgary, Alberta |
| 2007-08 | Kevin Porter | C | Univ. of Michigan | Northville, Mich. |
| 2008-09 | Matt Gilroy | D | Boston Univ. | North Bellmore, N.Y. |
| 2009-10 | Blake Geoffrion | C | Wisconsin | Plantation, Fla. |
| 2010-11 | Andy Miele | LW | Miami (Ohio) | Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. |
| 2011-12 | Jack Connolly | C | Minnesota-Duluth | Duluth, Minn. |
| 2012-13 | Drew LeBlanc | C | St. Cloud State | Duluth, Minn. |
| 2013-14 | Johnny Gaudreau | LW | Boston College | Salem, N.J. |
| 2014-15 | Jack Eichel | C | Boston Univ. | North Chelmsford, Mass. |
| 2015-16 | Jimmy Vesey | LW | Harvard | Boston, Mass. |
| 2016-17 | Will Butcher | D | Univ. of Denver | Sun Prairie, Wisc. |
| 2017-18 | Adam Gaudette | C | Northeastern | Braintree, Mass. |
| 2018-19 | Cale Makar | D | UMass | Calgary, Alberta |
| 2019-20 | Scott Perunovich | D | Minnesota-Duluth | Hibbing, Minn. |
| 2020-21 | Cole Caufield | RW | Wisconsin | Stevens Point, Wisc. |
| 2021-22 | Dryden McKay | G | MSU-Mankato | Downers Grove, Ill. |
| 2022-23 | Adam Fantilli | C | Univ. of Michigan | Toronto, Ontario |
| 2023-24 | Macklin Celebrini | C | Boston University | Vancouver, British Columbia |