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Photo by: Brad Rempel
LaFontaine Up for Hobey Baker Award
2/1/2021 11:53:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – Jack LaFontaine of the No. 2 Gopher men's hockey program has been nominated for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award, the organization announced today as Phase 1 fan voting for college hockey's top honor gets underway.Â
Phase 1 fan voting runs through Sunday, March 7 with the top-10 finalists announced on Wednesday, March 17, the Hobey Hat Trick released on Thursday, April 1 and the 2021 Hobey Baker Award winner announced on Friday, April 9. Â
A native of Mississauga, Ontario, LaFontaine ranks among the best in college hockey this year in virtually every goaltending statistic and has backstopped the Maroon & Gold to the top of Big Ten standings. The alternate captain leads all NCAA goalies with 13 wins this season (13-3-0), ranks second nationally in goals against average at 1.28, ranks third nationally in save percentage at .948 and is tied for third national with the first three shutouts of his career. The senior is also a key piece to Minnesota's defense, which ranks second nationally at 1.61 goals allowed per game.Â
Criteria for college hockey's top honor include candidates exhibiting the exceptional character traits of the award's namesake, Hobey Baker. A legendary American hero, Baker was a World War I fighter pilot and was known as America's greatest amateur athlete in his day, excelling at hockey and football at Princeton. Award candidates must demonstrate strength of character both on and off the ice, contribute to the integrity of his team and display outstanding skills in all phases of the game. Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and sportsmanship.
Should LaFontaine be named a finalist for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award, he would be just the third Gopher goaltender in the award's 40-year history to earn the distinction after Robb Stauber in 1988 and 1989 (Stauber was the first goalie to win the Hobey Baker Award in 1988) and Adam Wilcox in 2014. Minnesota has boasted four Hobey Baker Award winners with Neal Broten winning the inaugural honor in 1981, Stauber claiming the award in 1988, Brian Bonin followed in 1996 while Jordan Leopold claimed college hockey's top honor in 2002.Â
Up Next: Border Battle
Minnesota returns to action next weekend with a two-game Big Ten series against Wisconsin at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The action kicks off on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 p.m. CT (TV: FOX Sports North Plus/FOX Sports Wisconsin Plus; Stream: BTN Plus/FOX Sports Go; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM) with the series finale on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 7:00 p.m. CT (TV: FOX Sports North Plus/FOX Sports Wisconsin Plus; Stream: BTN Plus/FOX Sports Go; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM).Â
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Phase 1 fan voting runs through Sunday, March 7 with the top-10 finalists announced on Wednesday, March 17, the Hobey Hat Trick released on Thursday, April 1 and the 2021 Hobey Baker Award winner announced on Friday, April 9. Â
A native of Mississauga, Ontario, LaFontaine ranks among the best in college hockey this year in virtually every goaltending statistic and has backstopped the Maroon & Gold to the top of Big Ten standings. The alternate captain leads all NCAA goalies with 13 wins this season (13-3-0), ranks second nationally in goals against average at 1.28, ranks third nationally in save percentage at .948 and is tied for third national with the first three shutouts of his career. The senior is also a key piece to Minnesota's defense, which ranks second nationally at 1.61 goals allowed per game.Â
Criteria for college hockey's top honor include candidates exhibiting the exceptional character traits of the award's namesake, Hobey Baker. A legendary American hero, Baker was a World War I fighter pilot and was known as America's greatest amateur athlete in his day, excelling at hockey and football at Princeton. Award candidates must demonstrate strength of character both on and off the ice, contribute to the integrity of his team and display outstanding skills in all phases of the game. Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and sportsmanship.
Should LaFontaine be named a finalist for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award, he would be just the third Gopher goaltender in the award's 40-year history to earn the distinction after Robb Stauber in 1988 and 1989 (Stauber was the first goalie to win the Hobey Baker Award in 1988) and Adam Wilcox in 2014. Minnesota has boasted four Hobey Baker Award winners with Neal Broten winning the inaugural honor in 1981, Stauber claiming the award in 1988, Brian Bonin followed in 1996 while Jordan Leopold claimed college hockey's top honor in 2002.Â
Up Next: Border Battle
Minnesota returns to action next weekend with a two-game Big Ten series against Wisconsin at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The action kicks off on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 p.m. CT (TV: FOX Sports North Plus/FOX Sports Wisconsin Plus; Stream: BTN Plus/FOX Sports Go; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM) with the series finale on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 7:00 p.m. CT (TV: FOX Sports North Plus/FOX Sports Wisconsin Plus; Stream: BTN Plus/FOX Sports Go; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM).Â
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