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Photo by: Brady Paitrick
Mittelstadt, Ziemer Named Hobey Baker Nominees
1/21/2026 1:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Fan vote begins today among all 87 nominees
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Luke Mittelstadt and Brodie Ziemer from the University of Minnesota men's hockey team were included in the initial list of nominees for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, it was announced Wednesday.
The fan vote portion of the selection runs from now until Sunday, March 8 at midnight. College hockey fans can cast their vote by going to the voting website hobeybaker.com/vote. Fans can find their favorite player, then text to vote by following the instructions.
Senior captain Luke Mittelstadt has been the heartbeat of the Golden Gophers' blue line in 2025-26, logging heavy minutes and delivering in every situation. He is tied for the team lead with 13 assists, thanks to nine points in his last 12 games, and averages more than 26 minutes per night. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native ranks second among Big Ten defensemen and 13th nationally in assists, with nine coming as the quarterback of the top power-play unit. His lone goal of the season was a power-play game winner against Notre Dame on Nov. 8 that capped a series sweep. Add in an NCAA-top-10 mark with 47 blocked shots, and Mittelstadt's case as one of the nation's most complete defensemen is hard to ignore.
Brodie Ziemer is driving the Maroon and Gold offense at nearly a point-per-game pace, leading Minnesota with 22 points in 23 games, while his team-best eight power-play goals rank second nationally. The sophomore torched the end of 2025, scoring in six of the final seven games with two separate three-game goal streaks and totaling eight goals and 11 points in that stretch. The Chaska, Minn., product carried that momentum into 2026 by finding the back of the net in both Saturday outings and pushed his career-high goal total to 14, sitting eighth in the nation. Add in his role as captain for Team USA at the recent IIHF World Junior Championship, and Ziemer's impact extends well beyond the scoresheet.
Four players representing Minnesota have earned the prestigious honor as Neal Broten (1981), Robb Stauber (1988), Brian Bonin (1996), and Jordan Leopold (2002) all claimed the Hobey Baker Award in program history. Broten was the first-ever recipient of the award when he scored 71 points (17 goals, 54 assists) in 36 games as a sophomore during the 1980-81 campaign. Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies were selected as Hobey Hat Trick Finalists in 2022-23 after Ben Meyers and Jack LaFontaine were top 10 finalists in 2021-22 and 2020-21, respectively, and Jimmy Snuggerud was a top 10 finalist in 2024-25.
Award criteria 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 University. 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.
The fan vote portion of the selection runs from now until Sunday, March 8 at midnight. College hockey fans can cast their vote by going to the voting website hobeybaker.com/vote. Fans can find their favorite player, then text to vote by following the instructions.
Senior captain Luke Mittelstadt has been the heartbeat of the Golden Gophers' blue line in 2025-26, logging heavy minutes and delivering in every situation. He is tied for the team lead with 13 assists, thanks to nine points in his last 12 games, and averages more than 26 minutes per night. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native ranks second among Big Ten defensemen and 13th nationally in assists, with nine coming as the quarterback of the top power-play unit. His lone goal of the season was a power-play game winner against Notre Dame on Nov. 8 that capped a series sweep. Add in an NCAA-top-10 mark with 47 blocked shots, and Mittelstadt's case as one of the nation's most complete defensemen is hard to ignore.
Brodie Ziemer is driving the Maroon and Gold offense at nearly a point-per-game pace, leading Minnesota with 22 points in 23 games, while his team-best eight power-play goals rank second nationally. The sophomore torched the end of 2025, scoring in six of the final seven games with two separate three-game goal streaks and totaling eight goals and 11 points in that stretch. The Chaska, Minn., product carried that momentum into 2026 by finding the back of the net in both Saturday outings and pushed his career-high goal total to 14, sitting eighth in the nation. Add in his role as captain for Team USA at the recent IIHF World Junior Championship, and Ziemer's impact extends well beyond the scoresheet.
Four players representing Minnesota have earned the prestigious honor as Neal Broten (1981), Robb Stauber (1988), Brian Bonin (1996), and Jordan Leopold (2002) all claimed the Hobey Baker Award in program history. Broten was the first-ever recipient of the award when he scored 71 points (17 goals, 54 assists) in 36 games as a sophomore during the 1980-81 campaign. Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies were selected as Hobey Hat Trick Finalists in 2022-23 after Ben Meyers and Jack LaFontaine were top 10 finalists in 2021-22 and 2020-21, respectively, and Jimmy Snuggerud was a top 10 finalist in 2024-25.
Award criteria 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 University. 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.
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Highlights: Gophers 1, Michigan 5
Friday, January 16
Highlights: Gophers 2, Penn State 5
Saturday, January 10
Highlights: Gophers 0, Penn State 3
Friday, January 09