2011 Hobey Finalists Announced
By Fetch
I posted my list earlier today, and the official Hobey finalists list has been released. They are:
Matt Frattin, North Dakota
Jack Connolly, Minnesota-Duluth
Cam Atkinson, Boston College
Justin Schultz, Wisconsin
Paul Thompson, New Hampshire
Paul Zanette, Niagara
Chase Polacek, RPI
Andy Miele, Miami
Carter Camper, Miami
Gustav Nyquist, Maine
By Conference: WCHA 3, Hockey East 3, CCHA 2, ECAC 1, Atlantic Hockey 1
Some comments: Frattin, Atkinson and Thompson were the biggest no brainers for me. All put up good stats, played on good teams, and were the driving forces of those teams. Nyquist and Polacek had very good years and being top 10 guys last year pushed them over the top most likely, especially since Nyquist entered the year as a heavy Hobey favorite. He doesn’t have the stats this year that he did last year, but he has been very good on both ends of the ice and almost everything good that Maine does involves him in some way.
I am surprised there is no goalie on this list, but I had heard for awhile that there probably wouldn’t be this year. No one was great, but I’m surprised John Muse or Aaron Dell didn’t get the nod. As I posted earlier, I had Yale’s Ryan Rondeau on mine because he had a fantastic save percentage, and ECAC Hockey is a really high scoring league now, it’s not the same old league where guys will just tackle forwards when they cross the blueline.
With Schultz over Gardiner, I think Gardiner is a better player but Schultz was the one who was 1st team all WCHA and it seems pretty apparent that the Wisconsin athletics department pushed his candidacy over Gardiner’s, hoping his eye popping numbers will catch the voter’s eyes over Gardiner’s all around play.
For a prediction, I think Frattin, Miele and Atkinson will be the Hat Trick, and personally I think Frattin both should and will win, but it’s tough to argue against Miele and Atkinson as well.