Jordan Leopold
Capping a remarkable four-year career, the Golden Gophers captain was named Minnesota’s fourth Hobey winner, then went on to help his team to it’s fourth NCAA championship. A Hobey finalist two straight seasons, Leopold posted 48 points in 44 games to lead all defenseman in the nation in scoring. The mobile blue-liner scored 20 goals, assisted on another 28 and tallied 8 power play goals in his super season. Jordan established two team records by a defenseman: most goals in a season (20) and in a career (45) while finishing third in team points his senior season. For the second straight year, Leopold was the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All Star. A two-time All American, Leopold has done some travelling, spending three seasons each with Calgary and Colorado; a split season with the Florida Panthers and the Pittsburgh Penquins; and after two complete seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, was traded midway through the 2012-13 season to St. Louis where he spent two full seasons with the Blues. The 2014-15 campaign started with Leopold in St. Louis, was traded to Columbus and then to the Minnesota Wild where he completed his 12th pro season in the NHL on his eighth team. Leopold retired after that season and his family operates an event center in Minneapolis.
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2002 Runner Up
Darren Haydar played college hockey at the University of New Hampshire from 1998 to 2002. In his senior season, he had a stellar year, leading the Wildcats with 76 points on 31 goals and 45 assists in 40 games. He was also named a First-Team All-American and was the Hockey East Player of the Year. Haydar finished his collegiate career as the third all-time leading scorer in UNH history with 219 points.
After college, Haydar had a long and very successful professional career, particularly in the AHL. He was a dominant scorer in the AHL, winning two Calder Cup championships with the Milwaukee Admirals and Chicago Wolves. He holds the AHL’s all-time record for playoff goals, assists, and points. His most notable season came in 2006-07 with the Chicago Wolves, when he led the league with 122 points and was named the Les Cunningham Award winner as the league’s most valuable player. Despite his success in the AHL, Haydar’s NHL career was brief, playing only 23 games with the Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, and Colorado Avalanche.
Mark Hartigan was a prolific scorer for St. Cloud State University from 2000 to 2002. As a junior, he led the Huskies with 37 goals and 38 assists for 75 points, finishing as the second-leading scorer in the nation. His outstanding performance in the 2001-02 season earned him a top-ten nomination for the Hobey Baker Award and recognition as a First-Team All-American. He helped St. Cloud State win the WCHA regular-season championship and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four.
Following his collegiate career, Hartigan signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2002. He played in the NHL for parts of six seasons with the Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Anaheim Ducks. Hartigan also had an extensive professional career in the AHL and overseas in the KHL and Swedish leagues. He was a two-time AHL All-Star and won the Calder Cup with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013, scoring the series-clinching goal in the final game.