Hobey Baker Watch: Week 19

Story posted February 12, 2020 in CommRadio, Sports by Chris Deptulski

With just under a month of regular season play remaining, the final push for one of the most prestigious accolades in all of NCAA Hockey is coming to an end. Dating back to the origin of the award in 1981, the center position has risen to become the most frequent occurring representative at 16.

This week we will assess the less represented positions of defenseman, goalie and winger. With dominant play from David Farrance, Dryden McKay and Jack Dugan, the odds of the typical center finalist have drastically diminished.

David Farrance, Boston University

History has a chance to repeat itself thanks to the dominant performance of defenseman David Farrance. He opens the door to the possibility of a third defenseman winner in just four years. From Victor, New York, Farrance has settled down quite nicely in Boston making himself known as an offensive-rounded blueliner.

With a rapidly developing shot, he has stood atop the leaderboard for scores by defenders, but he has struggled as of late to find the back of the net. Leading up to the Beanpot tournament, his last goal came on January 8.

However, he may have found his stride again, scoring twice in the tournament with one goal arriving at a pivotal moment to secure the win against cross-town rival Boston College. He also secured two assists in this outing.

He followed this outing up with another three-point game against Northeastern (one goal and two assists). He currently leads Boston University in points with 35. Last year’s defenseman winner, Cale Makar, secured 49 points in his Hobey Baker Award winning season. If Farrance can return to his mid-season form, he will remain a name to watch for the Hobey Baker Award.

Dryden McKay, Minnesota State University

The last goaltender to win this honor came two decades ago by none other than Ryan Miller, but McKay is making a run to break the drought. The 22-year-old out of Downers Grove, Illinois has been as close to perfect as a goaltender can be.

He has doubled his shut-out total from last year with eight. He has surpassed his win total as well with 25 on the year. His GAA is a mere 1.37 with a save percentage at a staggering 0.939.

In Miller’s Hobey Baker Award winning season, he accrued a 1.32 GAA. He amassed 31 wins and 10 shutouts as well. This last month will be vital for McKay to prove that he is worthy of an honor just two other goaltenders possess in college hockey history.

Jack Dugan, Providence

Some deem Dugan a favorite to win the award. He sits atop the points leaderboard with an astounding 46 points. With an unorthodox approach to the winger position, Dugan collects his points on the distributing end opposed to the scoring end.

He currently has 37 assists and nine goals. There is a very strong likelihood that he finishes with 70+ points this season. The last 70-point season came in the 2015-2016 season when Kyle Connor of Michigan gained 71 points. 

 

Chris Deptulski is a junior majoring in Biorenewable Systems. To contact him, email cgd5108@psu.edu.