Hobey Baker Watch: Feb. 9
Like it or not, the 2021-2022 college hockey regular season is in the home stretch. Most teams are beginning to wrap up their schedules and make pushes for their respective conference tournaments.
As teams are wrapping up their seasons with hopes of advancing far into their tournaments, some players are putting the finishing touches on their resumes for the Hobey Baker Award. At this point in the season, the best candidates for the award are becoming clearer and clearer by the week.
Yaniv Perets, Goaltender, Quinnipiac
It is now safe to say that Yaniv Perets is the best goaltender in college hockey, despite the excellence of Dryden McKay. Perets leads college hockey in goals against average with .755 per game. That’s far better than Dryden McKay, who is second-best in that category with 1.274 per game.
Perets is also first in save percentage, having stopped .956 of shots so far. The Quinnipiac product has been talked about in this article in recent weeks, so he’s been solid throughout the season.
Quinnipiac continues to have a great season, being ranked No. 2 both in this week’s and last week’s poll. The Bobcats’ strong campaign is a good addition to Perets’ very impressive resume for the Hobey Baker Award.
Nathan Smith, Center, Minnesota State
Nathan Smith is a very impressive player on a very impressive team. Smith has 15 goals this season and could easily become the leading scorer by the end of the season even though it’s close to ending.
Smith is seventh in assists per game with .93, and he has 26 total assists which lands him second in that category.
Smith also has 41 points this season. He has not played in a game without getting at least one point since December against Bemidji State. That matchup against Bemidji State is one of only four times Smith has not totaled a point this season.
The Minnesota State product has proved to be one of the more reliable players in college hockey this season, and there would be a good case for giving him the award. His consistency and skill on the ice is one of the bigger reasons why Minnesota State has been as good as it has this season.
Matty Beniers, Forward, Michigan
Michigan’s Matty Beniers has been one of the best players not just in the Big Ten and on his star-studded Wolverines squad, but in all of college hockey. Beniers is averaging 1.29 points per game, which is currently eighth in college hockey although it would not be surprising if he climbed the ranks.
Beniers is also in a four-way tie with 36 points, which is not far behind point leaders Nathan Smith and Bobby Brink, who each have 41.
The future Seattle Kraken player also has 20 assists and 16 goals, which is not far from taking the lead.
Although he isn’t currently leading in any categories, Beniers is enough of a well-rounded player to win the Hobey Baker Award.
Nolan Wick is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email nhw5046@psu.edu.
