Gophers Mike Reilly A Hobey Baker Award Finalist
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As the University of Minnesota men's hockey team is getting ready to play in the Big Ten Tournament, one of its own is a finalist for the top honor in college hockey.
Junior defenseman Mike Reilly has been named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. The Chanhassen native was selected the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten. He leads all NCAA defensemen with 42 points on the season.
Reilly currently leads the Big Ten and is tied for ninth nationally with a plus-23 rating. He's the first defenseman to lead Minnesota in scoring since Mike Crowley collected 56 points in the 1996-97 season.
There have been four Gophers in history who have won the Hobey Baker Award. They include Neal Broten in 1981, Robb Stauber in 1988, Brian Bonin in 1996 and Jordan Leopold in 2002. It's the second straight year the Gophers have had a finalist for the Award. Adam Wilcox was a finalist last year.
The three finalists for the award will be announced on Thursday, April 2, and the winner will be announced on April 10 during the NCAA Frozen Four.
The Gophers face the Penn State/Ohio State winner at 3:30 p.m. Friday in Detroit, Mich.
