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/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Brad Rempel
LaFontaine Named to Final Three for Mike Richter Award
3/26/2021 9:28:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – With the No. 2 Gopher men's hockey team preparing to open the NCAA tournament on Saturday, Jack LaFontaine continues to earn recognition for his outstanding season as the senior goaltender has been named one of the final three candidates for this year's Mike Richter Award.
The Mike Richter Award, which has been awarded annually to the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's college hockey since 2014, is being administered for the first time this season by the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA). A committee of voters — made up of a cross section of coaches, administrators, scouts and media — will select a winner to be announced in April during the NCAA Frozen Four. LaFontaine is joined by Boston College's Spencer Knight and Minnesota State's Dryden McKay as the final three candidates for this year's award.
A native of Mississauga, Ontario, LaFontaine is also one of 10 finalists for this year's Hobey Baker Award, having already been named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year, a First Team All-Big Ten selection and the Most Outstanding Player at the Big Ten tournament. Additionally, he is one of three Gophers among 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.
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 all regular NCAA goaltenders with 21 wins (21-6-0) and a .936 save percentage while his goals against average of 1.74 ranks second among the group. 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.
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.
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 earned a No. 1 seed at the NCAA West Regional. 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 seventh in scoring defense (2.00 goals per game). 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.
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.
Up Next: NCAA Opener with Omaha
Minnesota will make its 38th national tournament appearance this season (tied with Michigan for the most among all NCAA programs). The top seed in the NCAA West Regional at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colo., the 'U' will start the tournament against fourth-seeded Omaha on Saturday, March 27 at 8:00 p.m. CT (TV: ESPNU; Stream: Watch ESPN; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM).
The Mike Richter Award, which has been awarded annually to the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's college hockey since 2014, is being administered for the first time this season by the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA). A committee of voters — made up of a cross section of coaches, administrators, scouts and media — will select a winner to be announced in April during the NCAA Frozen Four. LaFontaine is joined by Boston College's Spencer Knight and Minnesota State's Dryden McKay as the final three candidates for this year's award.
A native of Mississauga, Ontario, LaFontaine is also one of 10 finalists for this year's Hobey Baker Award, having already been named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year, a First Team All-Big Ten selection and the Most Outstanding Player at the Big Ten tournament. Additionally, he is one of three Gophers among 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.
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 all regular NCAA goaltenders with 21 wins (21-6-0) and a .936 save percentage while his goals against average of 1.74 ranks second among the group. 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.
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.
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 earned a No. 1 seed at the NCAA West Regional. 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 seventh in scoring defense (2.00 goals per game). 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.
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.
Up Next: NCAA Opener with Omaha
Minnesota will make its 38th national tournament appearance this season (tied with Michigan for the most among all NCAA programs). The top seed in the NCAA West Regional at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colo., the 'U' will start the tournament against fourth-seeded Omaha on Saturday, March 27 at 8:00 p.m. CT (TV: ESPNU; Stream: Watch ESPN; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM).
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