Looking At Past Hobey Baker Winners

 

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Is a Hobey Baker a precursor to an NHL career.

Well, no. Then again, it doesn’t hurt.

Twenty-five of the 30 Hobey winners saw action in the NHL. The list includes Tom Kurvers, a player who the Leafs acquired in exchange for the right to draft Scott Niedermayer, a present NHL general manager, Washington’s George McPhee, and Buffalo’s all-world goalie Ryan Miller.

The Hobey can be a passport. The three position players  with the most dominant statistics were widely-traveled. They were Paul Kariya of the University of Maine (Anaheim, Colorado, Nashville, St. Louis), Michigan Centre Brendan Morrison (New Jersey, Vancouver, Anaheim, Dallas, Washington, Calgary) and Boston University winger Chris Drury (Colorado, Calgary, Buffalo, New York Rangers).

Kariya leads all Hobey Baker winners in games (989), goals (402) and points (989) but did not play this year. Drury has recorded 614 points, 24 more than Morrison although both players are still active. The 36-year-old Kariya sat out this season with post concussion syndrome but has not ruled out returning next year.

Two more skaters, Jordan Leopold (Calgary, Colorado, Florida, Pittsburgh, Buffalo) and Brian Holzinger (Buffalo, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Colorado) broke the 500-game plateau.

Should the winner advance to the NHL, he will be in a very select club.  Only seven Hobey winners played in the NHL this season:  Morrison, Drury, Leopold (Buffalo), Miller, Matt Carle (Philadelphia), Matt Gilroy (Rangers), Blake Geoffrion (Nashville). 

Here is a list of the winners, the year they won and their school.

1981       Neal Broten                        Minnesota
1982       George McPhee                 Bowling Green
1983       Mark Fusco                         Harvard
1984       Tom Kurvers                      Minnesota-Duluth
1985       Bill Watson                         Minnesota-Duluth
1986       Scott Fusco                        Harvard
1987       Tony Hrkac                         North Dakota
1988       Robb Stauber                    Minnesota
1989       Lane MacDonald              Harvard
1990       Kip Miller                            Michigan State
1991       David Emma                     Boston College
1992       Scott Pellerin                     Maine
1993       Paul Kariya                        Maine
1994       Chris Marinucci                 Minnesota-Duluth
1995       Brian Holzinger                 Bowling Green
1996       Brian Bonin                        Minnesota
1997       Brendan Morrison             Michigan
1998       Chris Drury                         Boston University
1999       Jason Krog                         New Hampshire
2000       Mike Mattau                         Boston College
2001       Ryan Miller                          Michigan State
2002       Jordan Leopold                  Minnesota
2003       Peter Sejna                         Colorado College
2004       Junior Lessard                   Minnesota-Duluth
2005       Marty Sertich                       Colorado College
2006       Matt Carle                            Denver
2007       Ryan Duncan                      North Dakota
2008       Kevin Porter                         Michigan
2009       Matt Gilroy                            Boston University
2010       Blake Geoffrion                   Wisconsin