By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Three Boston Bruins prospects, James Hagens, Dean Letourneau, and Ryan Walsh, were named among 87 preliminary nominees for the Hobey Baker Award on Wednesday afternoon. The award annually recognizes the most outstanding player in NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey, both on and off the ice.
Hagens, drafted seventh overall by Boston last June, has followed up his point-per-game freshman season by playing above that pace on Boston College’s top line as a sophomore. He currently leads the Eagles in scoring with 10-11-21 through 18 games, and was named the Hockey East co-Player of the Week following his first career hat trick against Notre Dame in late November.
Letourneau, drafted 24th overall in 2024, is having a breakout sophomore year with the Eagles. Following a challenging freshman campaign that saw him record just three points, all assists, Letourneau stands second in scoring on BC with 11-9-20 in 20 games, one point behind Hagens atop the leaderboard. Like Hagens, Letourneau has also been named the Hockey East Player of the Week on one occasion, following a three-goal weekend against UMass-Lowell that secured the weekend sweep for the Eagles.
Walsh, a sixth-round pick from 2023, has led Cornell in more ways than one. Named captain prior to the season, the junior Center leads the Big Red in both points and assists with 6-12-18 in 17 games, highlighted by a five-assist night against RPI in November. Walsh was also named to the US Collegiate Selects Team for the Spengler Cup during the Christmas break and scored against HC Davos in the final.
The initial list of 87 nominations will be reduced to 10 in March ahead of the NCAA Tournament, and then again to three finalists. The winner will be announced in April, following the conclusion of the season.
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