To the surprise of many, Matthew Knies does not win the Hobey Baker Award; could sign in the NHL as early as tomorrow
Aside from the NCAA Championship, the Hobey Baker Award is the most prestigious award to win in college hockey. For much of the year, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies was not only among the favourites to win the award - he was the frontrunner, according to the fan vote.
On Friday, the Hobey Baker Award winner was finally announced and as shocking as the result may be to the Leafs' faithful, Knies was not the 2022-23 recipient of the award. Instead, the honour went to Adam Fantilli, with the University of Michigan.
Fantilli, along with Knies and teammate Logan Cooley, were the 3 Finalists for the Hobey Baker award and despite the buzz surrounding the possibility of Knies winning the award this season, it was never really a reality. Over 39 games this season, Knies had racked up just 42 points, while also being recognized as one of the best transition players in the league and certainly one of the best net-front players as well. However, he wasn't even the best player on his line, as Cooley had racked up 22 goals, led the league in assists with 38 and notched 60 points in 38 games for the University of Minnesota this season.
Fantilli, though, definitely deserved to win the award, having led the league in goals (30) and points (65) in his freshman year. Fantilli is draft-eligible this year and is expected to be one of the first 3 players selected at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Of these 3 players, Knies is viewed as the most NHL-ready prospect, largely due to his huge 6'3, 210-pound frame, his strong transition game, his physicality, his speed and his blistering shot. Fantilli may be this year's Hobey Baker Award winner, but if Knies has a legitimate opportunity to accomplish every young player's dream right out of the gate - winning a Stanley Cup. He'll become eligible to sign his entry-level contract as soon as his season ends as the Frozen Four tournament concludes tonight.
| POLL | ||
8 AVRIL | 275 ANSWERS To the surprise of many, Matthew Knies does not win the Hobey Baker Award; could sign in the NHL as early as tomorrow Will Matthew Knies and the University of Minnesota win an NCAA Championship tonight? | ||
| Yes | 184 | 66.9 % |
| No | 91 | 33.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
