Thursday, April 1, 2021

Hobey Hat Trick Named

Caufield, McKay and Pinto up for 2021 Hobey Baker Award.

Hobey Hat Trick Named
Shane Pinto was named NCHC Player of the Year in 2020-21 (Photo by UND Athletics).

The three Western conferences fill the 2021 Hobey Hat Trick, as the top three vote-getters for men’s college hockey’s highest individual honor were announced Thursday.

Wisconsin forward Cole Caufield (Stevens Point, Wis./U.S. NTDP/MTL, Minnesota State goaltender Dryden McKay (Downers Grove, Ill./Madison-USHL) and North Dakota forward Shane Pinto (Franklin Square, N.Y./Tri-City-USHL/OTT), are the three finalists, with the winner to be announced on Friday, April 9.

Caufield, McKay and Pinto were selected from the initial list of 10 candidates by the 30-member selection committee and an additional round of online fan voting. 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.

Caufield, a sophomore, was a unanimous selection as Big Ten Player of the Year and led the nation in points (52) and goals (30) in 31 games played this season. The first-team all-conference selection and first-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens signed an NHL contract following his season.

McKay, a junior, led the Mavericks to their first Frozen Four and was a Hobey Baker top-10 finalist for the second year in a row. The WCHA Player and Goaltender of the Year has 10 shutouts this season and 24 in his career – both just two shy of the NCAA records.

Pinto, a sophomore, collected NCHC Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and Defensive Forward of the Year honors for the Fighting Hawks. The second-round Ottawa Senators draft pick finished with 15 goals and 32 points in 28 games this season.

The winner will be announced Friday, April 9, in a live broadcast on NHL Network at 6 p.m. ET. The 41st annual Hobey Baker Award show will also include the announcements of the Hockey Humanitarian Award, the East and West All-America Teams and the Mike Richter Award for the nation’s top goaltender.