Hobey Baker Finalists Reflect Hockey East's Resurgence

The 2024 Hobey Baker Award finalists have put the spotlight squarely on Hockey East, with the prestigious individual honor serving as a testament to the conference’s resurgence as a powerhouse in college hockey.

Boston College’s Cutter Gauthier and Boston University’s Macklin Celebrini have joined North Dakota’s Jackson Blake as the three players vying for the Hobey Baker, awarded annually to the top men’s college hockey player in the nation. Their inclusion signals a potential shift in the balance of power, as last year’s finalists all hailed from the vaunted Big Ten conference.

“For Will Smith to lead the country in scoring as a freshman is extremely impressive,” remarked BC coach Greg Brown about his star rookie, who narrowly missed out on being a finalist despite an eye-popping 69 points. “He has a great ability to pass the puck exactly how hard it needs to be passed.”

Smith’s prolific freshman campaign, which saw him collect 23 goals and 46 assists, may have been overshadowed by playing alongside the equally talented Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard on one of the most potent lines in recent memory. But make no mistake, the Lexington native and 4th overall NHL draft pick is a bonafide superstar in the making.

His Hobey Baker snub notwithstanding, Smith’s mere presence among the top-10 finalists underscores the immense talent brewing in the Hockey East ranks. Joining him was BU sophomore blueliner Lane Hutson, arguably the best defenseman in the entire country this season.

The composition of the Hobey finalists serves as a fitting microcosm of thejoust for conference supremacy that will take center stage this weekend at the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minnesota. In an unprecedented occurrence, all four head coaches - Michigan’s Brandon Naurato, Denver’s David Carle, BU’s Jay Pandolfo, and BC’s Brown - are leading the programs where they also played collegiately.

For Pandolfo, who captained the Terriers to a national title in 1995 during his playing days, the opportunity to bookend his BU career with championship glory as a coach is not lost on him.

“Just grateful to be back here as a coach,” Pandolfo shared. “Grateful for the opportunity that I had when I played at Boston University, playing for Jack Parker, playing with a lot of very good players, a lot of competitive players, a lot of high-character players. We had some great teams.”

As BU and BC prepare to rekindle their fierce rivalry on college hockey’s biggest stage, with Gauthier, Celebrini and the high-scoring trio of Smith, Perreault and Leonard leading the charge, the Hobey Baker finalists have served notice: Hockey East is back with a vengeance.

The winner of the 2024 Hobey Baker Award will be announced on Friday, with the championship game following on Saturday night. While the individual accolades are nice, the true prize lies in bringing a national title back to Boston.