By Joshua Kloke, Michael Russo and Scott Wheeler
University of Minnesota forward and Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies, Golden Gophers teammate and Coyotes prospect Logan Cooley and Michigan forward Adam Fantilli were named finalists for the 2023 Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The award is given annually to college hockey’s top player, and the winner will be announced on April 7.
- Knies, 20, notched 21 goals and 20 assists in 38 games in his sophomore season for the Gophers. Toronto drafted him with the No. 57 pick in 2021 out of the USHL’s Tri-City Storm.
- Cooley, an 18-year-old freshman, ranks second in the nation with a team-leading 57 points (20 goals and an NCAA-leading 37 assists). That’s the fifth highest in Minnesota’s history for a freshman.
- Fantilli has scored 29 goals and added 35 assists in his freshman season with Michigan. The 18-year-old was named the Big 10 Freshman of the Year and is projected to be the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, per The Athletic’s 2023 draft consensus rankings.
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee is pleased to announce the three Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalists for the 2023 award, honoring college hockey’s top player. Alphabetically, they are: Logan Cooley, a freshman forward from the University of Minnesota; https://t.co/0Wyth7htuI… pic.twitter.com/q77cHp81L0
— Hobey Baker Award (@HobeyBakerAward) March 30, 2023
How has Knies developed this season?
Even though Knies feels like a long shot to win the Hobey Baker, being named as a finalist will only boost his confidence coming into his first NHL games once he likely signs his entry-level contract with the Leafs in April.
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Developing that confidence was high on the Leafs’ list of priorities for Knies as he returned for his sophomore season in Minnesota. And in a January conversation with The Athletic, Leafs assistant general manager of player development Hayley Wickenheiser said one of the biggest improvements she’s noticed in Knies’ game is that aforementioned confidence coming through in spades.
“One of the things with him coming to development camp last summer is that he really saw the jump that’s needed to get to the NHL. He was exposed to being around a lot of the NHL players and the training and the type of program. So I think it probably gave him or did give him a little bit of inspiration to go down there and continue to work and he’s dominating and playing quite well,” Wickenheiser said.
Depending on how his Frozen Four plays out with Minnesota, Knies should be coming into the Leafs’ final few regular-season games on a high. That could translate into his physical, full-throttle style of play. — Kloke
Cooley’s impressive year
Like Knies, Cooley is trying to become the Golden Gophers’ first Hobey Baker winner since Jordan Leopold in 2002. The Coyotes selected him with the third pick of the 2022 draft, 20 years after Leopold won the honor.
He’s a fixture on a dynamic line with Knies and Jimmy Snuggerud, a line some say is the best in Gophers’ history and a line that there has been some steam on lately in the Twin Cities could return completely in the fall. Now, if Minnesota wins the national title, could that change? We may find out.
Cooley is fast, a dynamic playmaker and shooter and excellent in the faceoff circle. Earlier this season, he scored the Michigan in Mullet Arena — home of the Coyotes — against Arizona State. He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team in the regular season. He had nine points in four games in the Big Ten tournament and NCAA regional to land on both the Big 10 All-Tournament Team and the NCAA Fargo Regional All-Tournament Team. He had 18 multi-point games and has 30 points during a 15-game-point streak. — Russo
GO DEEPER
Scott Wheeler's top 50 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2023 edition
Fantilli has skills every NHL team covets
Though Connor Bedard is the runaway No. 1 prospect in this year’s draft, Fantilli’s play this season, which has chased down some of the great seasons in the history of college hockey by teenage freshmen (outproducing names like Jack Eichel), has positioned him as the consensus frontrunner for No. 2. There’s still no guarantee he’s picked second, but Fantilli’s the center with size and high-end skating and skill that every team covets.
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He has strengthened his case in recent weeks as well, coming up big in big moments for Michigan to lead the Big Ten tournament in points and score in each of their NCAA tournament games against Colgate and Penn State. Fantilli’s a true star prospect and while sportsmanship is a factor in Hobey Baker voting and his 67 penalty minutes may factor against his case, he’d still be my pick for this year’s award. — Wheeler
Required reading
(Photo of Matthew Knies: Zac BonDurant / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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