2021 | Maryland | BOYS

Northwest High School Ice Hockey | Jaguars | BOYS

Northwest Ice Hockey is proud to select Andrei Bazhin as its 2020 – 2021 Hobey Baker High School Character Award winner. Andrei, or “Bazâ€_x009d_ as he better known by, consistently demonstrated and embraced those values and characteristics this award recognizes – Character, Excellence, Love of Hockey and Sportsmanship.

From an early age, Andrei put the necessary hard work on and off the ice to elevate his hockey skill and game play. He never hesitated to perform whatever role he was asked to take on the ice (center, defense, power play, short-handed, etc.), was the ultimate team player, and continually demonstrated to his teammates a “can doâ€_x009d_ attitude. As the Senior Caption of the Northwest Varsity Ice Hockey team, Andrei routinely demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship both on and off the ice towards players, coaches and officials. Other coaches have commented to our coaching staff on Andrei’s poise, talent, leadership and sportsmanship.

On the ice, Andrei was the ever-present leader whose talent was exceeded only by his desire to win every shift, every period and every game. Andrei led by example regardless of whether he was shooting in his garage, practicing at a rink or playing in a game always demanding greatness from himself. The results were noteworthy as Andrei finished the 2020-2021 MSHL Varsity season third in the entire MSHL in scoring averaging 3 points per games with 24 goals and 16 assists. Andrei’s on-ice production also earned him Montgomery Hockey Conference Second Team All-Conference honors. Most importantly this year, Andrei led his team to both the Montgomery Hockey Conference Regular Season Championship and the Rockville Spring League Championship.

While his on-ice values and character were noteworthy, Andrei’s strength of character, integrity, commitment, scholarship and community were best demonstrated in his off-ice activities. Throughout his high school academic career, Andrei took on an ever-challenging course load where he put in the necessary work and study to maintain nearly straight A’s every marking period graduating with a 4.67 GPA. For example, he achieved straight A’s in the second marking period this (his senior) year across 1 college-level course (Calculus and Differential Equations), 4 AP courses and 1 honors course. This commitment to studies resulted in his membership in the Rho Kappa Honor Society, the Computer Science Honor Society, and the National Honor Society member – this was even more impressive given the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual learning. Andrei was also recognized with the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy for ability to speak English and Russian. Andrei also gave to his community where he made time to coach with the Montgomery Cheetahs Hockey Club and was planning on being a counselor for a youth camp prior to the pandemic.

Most importantly, Andrei is a young scholar athlete of high moral character who lifts the play of his teammates with an always positive attitude, and whose on-ice performance and sportsmanship was routinely noted by coaches and opponents alike. Whether on or off the ice, Andrei demonstrated the values and character Hobey Baker demonstrated in academics, in athletics and as a squadron leader in WWI.