Polacek Repeats as Finalist for Hobey Baker Award

TROY, N.Y. – The Top 10 Finalists for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the top men’s college hockey player in the U.S., have been announced and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Chase Polacek is one of the remaining candidates. This is the second straight year the Edina, Minn., native has been a finalist.

This season Polacek has played in all 37 games, tallying 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points. He is first on the team in goals, assists, points, power play goals (11), shorthanded goals (2) and game-winning goals (9). He has helped the Engineers to a 20-12-5 record and a national ranking for much of the season. RPI remains under consideration for selection to the NCAA Tournament. 

Polacek, who registered multiple points in 16 games, had two separate seven-game point scoring streaks and a stretch of four straight contests with the game-winning goal. He was held without a point in consecutive games just twice all year long.

He is first in the nation in game-winning goals – one shy of the national single season record – and sixth in power play goals. He also ranks in the top 20 in points per game (13th; 1.30), shorthanded goals (14th) and goals per game (18th; 0.57). 

Among league skaters, Polacek – who was named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year – is first in points, power play points (25) and game-winning goals, second in goals, power play goals (11) and shorthanded goals (2) and fourth in assists.

In 22 ECAC Hockey games, he had 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points. He was first in points, power play points (14) and game-winning goals (5), second in assists and third in goals. His five power play goals ranked fourth.

In a school record 153 career games, Polacek has 65 goals and 95 assists for 160 points. He had 28 points (7 goals, 21 assists) in 38 games as a freshman and 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) as a sophomore. Last season, the former Academy of Holy Angels standout had 52 points on 26 goals and 26 assists on his way to earning the Player of the Year Award, National All-America recognition and Hobey Baker Award finalist.

RPI has had seven other Hobey Baker Award finalists since the honor was originally bestowed following the 1980-81 season. They are:

• Adam Oates (forward) in 1984-85
• Joe Juneau (forward) in 1989-90
• Joe Juneau (forward) in 1990-91
• Neil Little (goaltender) in 1993-94
• Eric Healey (forward) in 1997-98
• Joel Laing (goaltender) in 1999-00
• Marc Cavosie (forward) in 2001-02

The Top 10 list is compiled from balloting from all 58 Division I college hockey head coaches and by an on-line fan ballot at www.hobeybaker.com. The other nine finalists are Andy Miele and Carter Camper of Miami, Cam Atkinson of Boston College, Gustav Nyquist of Maine, Jack Connolly of Minnesota Duluth, Justin Schultz of Wisconsin, Matt Frattin of North Dakota, Paul Thompson of New Hampshire and Paul Zanette

The Top 10 list will now be voted on by the 24-member Selection Committee and a second round of fan balloting, to determine the Hobey Hat Trick of three finalists (to be announced March 30) for this year’s Hobey Baker Award.

The Hobey Baker Award announcement will come on Friday, April 8 at 7pm from St. Paul, Minn., the site of this year’s NCAA Frozen Four Championship.