St. Paul, Minn. – College hockey action has heated up for the second half of the season, and it’s time for the annual fan ballot contribution to help determine the winner of the 2018 Hobey Baker Award.

Awarded annually to college hockey’s top player, the Hobey Baker’s tremendously popular fan-voting opened on Tuesday, January 16. College hockey fans can cast their vote by going to the voting website http://www.voteforhobey.com.  Follow the prompts to make your selection from this year’s outstanding crop of 74 college hockey players representing 46 NCAA Division I schools. Please spend some additional time to check out the detailed bios by following the links on each candidate.

This first phase of fan balloting will run now through March 4, 2018. Phase two of fan balloting will begin on March 14 from the list of Top Ten Hobey Baker finalists and will close March 25. The fans’ vote accounts for a full 1 percent of the total ballot in each phase in selecting this year’s award recipient.

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.

Key Hobey Baker announcement dates for 2018 include:

• Top Ten list of candidates:  March 14
• Hobey Hat Trick of three finalists:  March 29
• Hobey Baker Award announcement:  April 6

The 2018 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced from a field of three Hobey Hat Trick finalists on Friday, April 6, 2018 during the NCAA Frozen Four Championship in St. Paul, MN. The award ceremony will be held at the legendary Roy Wilkens Auditorium in the St. Paul RiverCentre and will be broadcast nationally on NHL Network. For more info on the Hobey Baker Award or to access the Hobey logo, please visit www.hobeybaker.com/media.