(UW ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS) – Sophomore forward Cole Caufield is in the Hobey “Hat Trick” as one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
First handed out in 1981, it goes annually to college hockey’s top men’s player.
The nation’s leading scorer joins Minnesota State junior goaltender Dryden McKay and North Dakota sophomore forward Shane Pinto among the three remaining players considered for the accolade.
Caufield boasts 30 goals and 52 points in 31 games played. He leads the nation’s second-highest scoring skater by 11 goals and holds a five-point lead on the next closest scorer. His 1.68 points per game are tops in the country.
Scoring more goals than three other teams this season, the Stevens Point native also leads the nation with 11 power-play goals and shares third with five game-winning goals, one off the lead.
The unanimous Big Ten Player of the Year was part of the NCAA East Regional and Big Ten All-Tournament Teams. He produced 12-game and nine-game scoring streaks and finished out the season with 11 goals in a six-game goal-scoring string. He also tallied 10 goals in a seven-game goal and multi-point game streak earlier in the season. He’s the first Badger with two hat tricks in a season since 1996-97.
Caufield didn’t do it alone. Helping the Badgers to a 20-10-1 record, their best since the 2013-14 season, he played on a line with Linus Weissbach and center Ty Pelton-Byce and the trio combined for 54 goals, 70 assists and 124 points in 31 games played. They averaged 1.74 goals and four points per game.
They were all a part of the nation’s top power play, which connected on 31.6 percent of its chances (31-for-98), including 11 directly from the stick of Caufield.
The 15th overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft by the Montreal Canadiens, he signed a three-year entry-level contract earlier this week and awaits his professional debut while under mandatory quarantine in Canada.
Caufield, who is the first Badger named part of the Hobey “Hat Trick” since Blake Geoffrion won UW’s first Hobey Baker Award in 2010, also won a gold medal with Team USA as an alternate captain at the 2021 World Junior Championship.
Badger teammate and sophomore forward Dylan Holloway was among the original top-10 finalists for the award.
The winner will be announced on Friday, April 9, on NHL Network at 5 p.m. CT
Wisconsin’s Hobey Baker Top-10 Finalists
2021 Cole Caufield (Top Three)
2021 Dylan Holloway
2014 Joel Rumpel
2012 Justin Schultz
2011 Justin Schultz
2010 Blake Geoffrion (Winner)
2010 Brendan Smith
2009 Jamie McBain
2006 Brian Elliott (Top Three)
2001 Dany Heatley
2000 Steve Reinprecht (Runner Up)
1992 Duane Derksen
1988 Paul Ranheim
1987 Tony Granato
1982 John Newberry
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