University of Minnesota Athletics
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
LaFontaine Named Hobey Baker Award Finalist
3/17/2021 11:55:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – A day after being named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year and leading the No. 4 Gopher men's hockey team to a Big Ten playoff title as Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, Minnesota senior Jack LaFontaine has been selected as a finalist for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award.Â
LaFontaine is the 16th Gopher Hockey player to be named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and the third 'U' goaltender after Robb Stauber in 1988 and 1989 and Adam Wilcox in 2014. Minnesota players have combined for a total of 21 Hobey Baker Award finalist bids with four Gophers eventually receiving the accolade – Neal Broten was the inaugural recipient in 1981, Stauber was the first goalie to win it in 1988, Brian Bonin followed in 1996 while Jordan Leopold was the first player to win the Hobey Baker Award and lead his team to a national championship in 2002.Â
A native of Mississauga, Ontario, LaFontaine is also a finalist for the Mike Richter Award and is one of three Gopher Hockey finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. In addition to being named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, the senior was also recognized as a First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Tournament Team selection on Tuesday.Â
An alternate captain for the Maroon & Gold, LaFontaine has emerged as one of the top players in college hockey this season and has produced one of the best seasons by a goaltender in the 100-year history of the Gopher Hockey program. He currently leads the nation with 21 wins (21-6-0) and ranks second nationally with a .936 save percentage and a goals against average of 1.74 (among goalies who have played more than 10 games). His save percentage is .001 off the NCAA lead for that statistic. He also ranks tied for second in the NCAA with five shutouts and has even added a pair of assists to Minnesota's high-powered offense.Â
The Carolina Hurricanes prospect has shined against some of the best competition in the country this season with 14 games against nationally ranked opponents and a 10-4 record in those contests. LaFontaine is coming off an overtime win over No. 7 Michigan in the Big Ten semifinals and a title-clinching victory over No. 5 Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game as Minnesota won three games in three days to take the conference playoff crown.Â
LaFontaine has backstopped Minnesota to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017 as the Gophers locked up the Big Ten's automatic qualifying bid and likely a No. 1 seed in the upcoming national tournament. Minnesota leads the nation with 23 wins this season (23-6-0) while the 'U' ranks fourth in scoring offense (3.79 goals per game) and is tied for sixth in scoring defense (2.00 goals per game). Â Nationally ranked all season long, the Gophers have kept themselves in the top-five of both national polls since the beginning of December including the program's first No. 1 ranking in both polls since Nov. 11, 2014.Â
A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, LaFontaine helped Minnesota set a new program record with a 3.35 cumulative grade point average as a team in the fall of 2020, while the men's hockey team recorded a term grade point average of 3.46, which ranks second in program history after last spring's 3.64.
The Carolina Hurricanes selected LaFontaine in the third round (75th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He previously was named the BCHL's Top Goaltender for 2018-19 as a member of the Penticton Vees and was named the 2016 NAHL Midwest Division Goalie of the Year with the Janesville Jets.Â
The ten finalists were selected by voting from all 61 Division I college hockey head coaches plus online fan balloting. Next, the 30-member Selection Committee and an additional round of fan balloting through the Hobey website (hobeybaker.com)Â March 18-28 will determine this year's Hobey Baker winner. Criteria for the award include: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.Â
The Hobey Hat Trick (three finalists) will be announced on April 1, 2021 and the Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced on Friday, April 9, 2021. The announcement will be televised live on the NHL Network and streamed on the Hobey Baker website at 5:00 p.m. CT.Â
Up Next: NCAA Selection Show on Sunday
Minnesota will now wait to see where it will head for the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship. The selection show airs on ESPNU on Sunday, March 21 at 6:00 p.m.Â
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LaFontaine is the 16th Gopher Hockey player to be named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and the third 'U' goaltender after Robb Stauber in 1988 and 1989 and Adam Wilcox in 2014. Minnesota players have combined for a total of 21 Hobey Baker Award finalist bids with four Gophers eventually receiving the accolade – Neal Broten was the inaugural recipient in 1981, Stauber was the first goalie to win it in 1988, Brian Bonin followed in 1996 while Jordan Leopold was the first player to win the Hobey Baker Award and lead his team to a national championship in 2002.Â
A native of Mississauga, Ontario, LaFontaine is also a finalist for the Mike Richter Award and is one of three Gopher Hockey finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. In addition to being named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, the senior was also recognized as a First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Tournament Team selection on Tuesday.Â
An alternate captain for the Maroon & Gold, LaFontaine has emerged as one of the top players in college hockey this season and has produced one of the best seasons by a goaltender in the 100-year history of the Gopher Hockey program. He currently leads the nation with 21 wins (21-6-0) and ranks second nationally with a .936 save percentage and a goals against average of 1.74 (among goalies who have played more than 10 games). His save percentage is .001 off the NCAA lead for that statistic. He also ranks tied for second in the NCAA with five shutouts and has even added a pair of assists to Minnesota's high-powered offense.Â
The Carolina Hurricanes prospect has shined against some of the best competition in the country this season with 14 games against nationally ranked opponents and a 10-4 record in those contests. LaFontaine is coming off an overtime win over No. 7 Michigan in the Big Ten semifinals and a title-clinching victory over No. 5 Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game as Minnesota won three games in three days to take the conference playoff crown.Â
LaFontaine has backstopped Minnesota to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017 as the Gophers locked up the Big Ten's automatic qualifying bid and likely a No. 1 seed in the upcoming national tournament. Minnesota leads the nation with 23 wins this season (23-6-0) while the 'U' ranks fourth in scoring offense (3.79 goals per game) and is tied for sixth in scoring defense (2.00 goals per game). Â Nationally ranked all season long, the Gophers have kept themselves in the top-five of both national polls since the beginning of December including the program's first No. 1 ranking in both polls since Nov. 11, 2014.Â
A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, LaFontaine helped Minnesota set a new program record with a 3.35 cumulative grade point average as a team in the fall of 2020, while the men's hockey team recorded a term grade point average of 3.46, which ranks second in program history after last spring's 3.64.
The Carolina Hurricanes selected LaFontaine in the third round (75th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He previously was named the BCHL's Top Goaltender for 2018-19 as a member of the Penticton Vees and was named the 2016 NAHL Midwest Division Goalie of the Year with the Janesville Jets.Â
The ten finalists were selected by voting from all 61 Division I college hockey head coaches plus online fan balloting. Next, the 30-member Selection Committee and an additional round of fan balloting through the Hobey website (hobeybaker.com)Â March 18-28 will determine this year's Hobey Baker winner. Criteria for the award include: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.Â
The Hobey Hat Trick (three finalists) will be announced on April 1, 2021 and the Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced on Friday, April 9, 2021. The announcement will be televised live on the NHL Network and streamed on the Hobey Baker website at 5:00 p.m. CT.Â
Up Next: NCAA Selection Show on Sunday
Minnesota will now wait to see where it will head for the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship. The selection show airs on ESPNU on Sunday, March 21 at 6:00 p.m.Â
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