For Release 3:15 p.m. CT (4:15 p.m. ET)  

March 18, 2026    

Contact:  Wally Shaver  wshaver@hobeybaker.com

St. Paul, Minn. — The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation is pleased to announce the Top Ten candidates for the 2026 award honoring college hockey’s top player. Alphabetically, they are: Trey Augustine, Michigan State University; James Hagens, Boston College; TJ Hughes, University of Michigan; Gavin McKenna, Penn State University; Max Plante, University of Minnesota Duluth; Eric Pohlkamp, University of Denver; Hayden Stavroff, Dartmouth College; Charlie Stramel, Michigan State University; Felix Trudeau, Sacred Heart University; and Ethan Wyttenbach, Quinnipiac University.

The ten finalists were selected by voting from all 63 Division I college hockey head coaches and online fan balloting. This year’s Hobey Baker winner will be chosen from this group by the 30-member Selection Committee. An additional round of fan balloting will run from March 19–March 29 on the Hobey Baker website hobeybaker.com. Criteria for the award are: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship, and scholastic achievements. 

The Hobey Hat Trick (three finalists) will be announced on April 2, 2026, and the Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced on Friday April 10, 2026, during the Frozen Four weekend in Las Vegas, NV. The announcement will be televised live from the Park MGM on the NHL Network and streamed on the Hobey Baker website at 8:00 p.m. ET. 

Following, in alphabetical order, is a look at each finalist.

Trey Augustine – Michigan State University – Junior, Goalie, South Lyon, Michigan

One of the premiere goalies in college hockey, Augustine has backstopped the Spartans to three straight Big Ten regular season titles and two playoff titles. For the past two seasons, he has been named the conference Goalie of the Year and First Team all-conference, while getting a nod as a semi-finalist for the Mike Richter Award (top goalie) three straight years. Positionally sound and athletic, Augustine is great at game management.

• Current record is 23-8-1, goals against average 2.09, saves percentage .929, has 3 shutouts
• Three-time member of USA World Junior team – Detroit draft (2^nd round, 2023)
• Finance major with 3.89 GPA – very active in a variety of off-ice community activities

James Hagens – Boston College – Sophomore, Forward, Hauppauge, New York

A brilliant second season of college hockey witnessed Hagens soar to the top of the Hockey East scoring charts due to his creative offensive skills. In addition to his Hockey East scoring title, Hagens was named First Team all-conference and a finalist for the circuit’s Player of the Year. Heading into the Hockey East playoff tournament, Hagens is riding a 13-game point streak and has earned points in 28 of his 33 games to date.

• Has 23 goals, 22 assists for 45 points in 33 games – tied for fifth in nation in goals
• Average of 1.36 points per game is seventh best in the nation
• Boston draft (1^st round, 2025) – Communications major

TJ Hughes – University of Michigan – Senior, Forward, Hamilton, Ontario

Setting a remarkable standard of consistency, Hughes has averaged over a point per game in each of the past three seasons, becoming the Big Ten’s all-time points leader in conference games. Topping Michigan in scoring for the second straight season, the team captain was named First Team all-conference and the Big Ten Player of the Year. The top-ranked Wolverines enter the Big Ten’s championship game with Hughes tied for third in the nation in scoring.

• Has 19 goals, 31 assists for 50 points in 36 games – is 57.1% on faceoffs
• Is fifth in the nation in points per game (1.39) and fifth in assists
• Is a free agent – Sports Management major

Gavin McKenna – Penn State University – Freshman, Forward, Whitehorse, Yukon

The Nittany Lions freshman phenom dazzled with his fantastic playmaking ability enroute to the Big Ten scoring title, gaining 38 points in 24 games. McKenna also set the team record for assists in a season with 36, including one huge night when he had a goal and seven assists vs Ohio State, the most points in an NCAA game in 39 years. Besides the Big Ten scoring title, McKenna was named Second Team all-conference, Big Ten all-freshman team and was the circuit’s Freshman of the Year.

• Has 15 goals, 36 assists for 51 points in 34 games – is 3^rd in nation in shots (150)
• Average of 1.50 pts per game is 2^nd in the nation – is 2^nd in nation in points and assists
• Is draft eligible – was a member of Team Canada at 2026 World Junior Championship

Max Plante – University of Minnesota Duluth – Sophomore, Forward, Hermantown, Minnesota

The apple didn’t fall far from the Plante family tree. Max is a Hobey finalist just like his dad Derek was back in 1993 while also playing for the Bulldogs. Plante started the season on fire collecting points in 11 of his first 13 games and enters this weekend’s NCHC championship game ranking fifth in the nation in scoring. His outstanding second season in Duluth was rewarded with First Team all-conference honors, NCHC Forward of the Year and he is also a finalist for Player of the Year.

• Has 23 goals, 25 assists for 48 points in 37 games – has 8 power play goals
• Detroit draft (2^nd round, 2024) – brother Zam is his linemate at Duluth
• Has 14 multiple point games – Communications major and Scholar-Athlete

Eric Pohlkamp – University of Denver – Junior, Defense, Brainerd, Minnesota

Pohlkamp is the nation’s top scoring defenseman and his 17 goals so far is an NCHC record by a defenseman. That’s because he’s a prolific shooter, leading the nation with 166 shots (average 4.4 per game), 12 more than the next closest skater. With the NCHC championship game looming this weekend, Pohlkamp has been recognized as First Team all-conference, the NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year and is a finalist for the NCHC Player of the Year.

• Has 17 goals, 20 assists for 37 points in 38 games – has 5 power play goals
• Communications major, Marketing minor –San Jose draft (5^th round, 2023)
• Member of the U.S. Selects of NCAA players at the Spengler Cup tourney in Switzerland in December

Hayden Stavroff – Dartmouth College – Sophomore, Forward, Columbus, Ohio

An explosive skater and elite scorer, Stavroff has helped guide the Big Green to the ECAC championship tourney this weekend in Lake Placid, NY. Along the way, he leads the nation in goal-scoring (28) and is tied for 6^th in points, while averaging 1.47 points per game (3^rd in the nation). Stavroff is the ECAC Scoring Champion, First Team all-conference and Ivy League Player of the Year.

• Has 28 goals, 19 assists for 47 points in 32 games – has points in 9 of his last 10 games
• Has 5 power play goals, 5 winning goals and 13 multiple point games
• Free agent – volunteers with several youth oriented initiatives

Charlie Stramel – Michigan State University – Senior, Forward, Rosemount, Minnesota

Playing all four seasons of college hockey has certainly benefited Stramel. A complete two-way player, he uses his size well to win faceoffs, kill penalties and has become a dominant offensive force. After centering last year’s Hobey Baker Award winner, Isaac Howard, Stramel has been the driver of the Spartans to a number three NPI ranking. He was named First Team all-conference in the Big Ten.

• Has 19 goals, 25 assists for 44 points in 35 games – has points in 27 of 35 games
• Communications major – 7 winning goals leads nation; is 2^nd in nation plus/minus at +30
• Played his first two seasons at Univ. of Wisconsin – is 53.2% on faceoffs

Felix Trudeau – Sacred Heart University – Senior, Forward, Terrebonne, Quebec

An accomplished goal scorer with a deadly shot, Trudeau saved his best for his senior season and ended up second in the nation in goals (25) and first in power play tallies (12). The AHA Scoring Champion has helped guide his Pioneers into the AHA title game Saturday. The Atlantic Hockey America conference honored him as First Team all-conference, Forward of the Year and Player of the Year.

• Has 25 goals, 22 assists for 47 points in 38 games – tied 6^th in nation in points
• Is 2^nd in the nation in shots (154) – played his first two years at Univ. of Maine
• Free agent – has five game winning goals –

Ethan Wyttenbach – Quinnipiac University – Freshman, Forward, Roslyn, New York

What a debut season for Wyttenbach (Witt-en-bach) who climbed to the top of the national scoring charts, seven points ahead of the next closest player. Possessing superior scoring abilities, he is third in the nation in both goals and assists, while leading the nation in points per game at 1.53. He was named ECAC First Team all-conference and ECAC All- Rookie Team.

• Has 24 goals, 34 assists for 58 points in 38 games – has shooting percentage of 24%
• Calgary draft (5^th round, 2025) – has 6 power play goals and 4 winning goals
• Sport and Entertainment Management major 

Hobey Notes

• Candidates by conference: Big Ten – 4, NCHC – 2, ECAC – 2, AHA – 1, Hockey East – 1,
• By position: Forwards – 8, Defense – 1, Goalie – 1
• By class: Senior – 3, Junior – 2, Sophomore – 3, Freshman – 2
• By nationality: U.S. – 7 (Minn. – 3, NY – 2; 1 each Mich., Ohio,); Canada – 3 (Ont., Que., Yukon)

• Repeat Candidates: None
• Four schools have a finalist for the second straight year: Boston College, Denver, Michigan State, Penn State and two schools have for a third consecutive (BC, Denver)
• Six of the ten finalists have been NHL draft picks with two selected in the first round (Hagens, Stramel), three are free agents and one is draft eligible
• Visit hobeybaker.com or on Facebook at: facebook.com/TheHobey  

The Hobey Baker website also has the top ten video and in-depth bios.  The Hobey Baker Top Ten video is available in a High Definition format at www.hobeybaker.com/media 

The 2026 Hobey Baker Award winner will be honored along with this year’s Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey, Mike McShane, at the annual banquet and golf outing to be held in August in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. For more information visit the website at: hobeybaker.com. 

Upcoming Hobey Baker media releases are as follows:

• Hat Trick of three Finalists – Thu., April 2 at 4:15 p.m. ET
• Winner – Fri., April 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET – Live TV on NHL Network from the Park MGM in Las Vegas, NV; streamed at hobeybaker.com