Hobey Baker Watch: Week 9
With conference play getting into some of the most crucial matchups of the college hockey season, the nation’s best are beginning to step up.
Western Michigan’s Drew Worrad jumped to the top of the nation’s points leaderboard with an impressive six-point weekend.
In Western Michigan’s runaway sweep of St. Lawrence, Worrad scored a goal and added five assists. Worrad now has five goals and 20 assists in only 14 games played.
Worrad’s teammate Ethen Frank has also been turning heads amongst the Bronco’s success. Frank leads the nation in goals with 15 including three in the series against St. Lawrence.
The Broncos are extremely hot winning four games in a row including a recent sweep over No. 5 St. Cloud State. Their 10-4 record has them ranked No. 6 in the USCHO poll.
If the high-flying duo of Worrad and Frank keep up their stellar play on a surging Western Michigan team, they are sure to receive Hobey Baker recognition when the time comes.
It’s hard to write a Hobey Baker Watch without at least mentioning one of the superstars playing for No. 3 Michigan and this week is the 2021 number one overall pick in the NHL draft, Owen Power.
Power quietly had a three-assist weekend in Michigan’s sweep of Niagara. His assist total is up to 20 on the season which places him in a tie for best in the nation. Power is also tied for second in the nation in points with fellow first-round pick and teammate Kent Johnson.
Power leads all defensemen in points by a wide margin with seven more than the next closest back liner.
The imposing defenseman has continued to prove his worth on a Michigan team that is about to play in one of its most important series of the season against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
If Power continues to play at this level down the stretch and into the Big Ten tournament, he will likely be one of the finalists for the Hobey Baker award.
One final player to consider after this past week of college hockey is No. 2 Minnesota State’s, Dryden McKay.
McKay has been one of the nation’s best goaltenders all season for one of college hockey’s best teams.
McKay is leading all goalies in wins with 12 and shutouts with six and broke Ryan Miller’s NCAA career shutout record earlier this season. He has been one of the most consistently high-performing players in college hockey this season.
Recently McKay has been a brick wall in the net. The Senior goaltender has recorded three straight shutouts.
This season of college hockey has been filled to the brink with star performances from plenty of fantastic players. It’s hard to narrow down just a handful of players who could win the level’s most prestigious individual award.
Maclain Young is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email macyoung21@gmail.com.
