The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/666058
MICHIGAN HOCKEY In a surprise announcement that all of college hockey buzzing, Michigan fresh‑ man Kyle Connor took second in voting for this year's Hobey Baker Award, with Harvard's Jimmy Vesey being named the top player in college hockey; Boston Col‑ lege goalie Thatcher Demko placed third. Only three days before the April 8 ceremony in Tampa, Fla. — the site of the 2016 Frozen Four — Yahoo Sports' Ryan Lambert wrote that the award should go to Connor. "I am on the record as believing that this award is Connor's to lose," Lambert penned. "Yeah, he beat up on a weak schedule, but this is just the third season in which someone has posted 70‑plus points since the early 2000s. Granted, they've all come right in a row here, but the other two guys to do it (Boston University's Jack Eichel and Boston College's Johnny Gaudreau before that) both won the Hobey. "The argument doesn't have to get much stronger than, 'He led the nation in goals and points by wide margins.'" Connor's 35 goals, 71 points and 1.87 points per game all led the na‑ tion. Vesey ranked eighth nation‑ ally in scoring with 1.39 points per game, scoring 24 goals and adding 22 assists. He actually had a better year in 2014‑15 when he notched 32 goals and 26 assists for 1.57 points per game, but finished second in the Hobey to Eichel, who had 71 points and 1.77 points per game in his freshman season. Other sites pondered whether the Hobey committee was uncomfortable handing off the award to a rookie for the second straight season After leading the nation in goals (35), points (71) and points per game (1.87), freshman forward Kyle Conner finished runner-up in the Hobey Baker Award balloting. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Kyle Connor Takes Second In The Hobey Baker