Miller Among Finalists for Hobey Baker Award
3/16/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 15, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) has been honored as one of the ten finalists for the 2001 Hobey Baker Award. The group of finalists, determined by a ballot of all 60 Division I college hockey coaches and by a fan vote, was announced Thursday by Hobey Baker Award officials in St. Paul, Minn.
Miller owns a 28-4-4 record, a 1.36 goals against average and a .942 saves percentage. He leads NCAA goaltenders in wins, goals against average, saves percentage and shutouts and was a key to the Spartans' run to the 2001 Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title. He also broke a 70-year-old NCAA record by posting his 17th career shutout in a 3-0 win vs. Alaska Anchorage in February.
Miller's cousin, Kip, is the lone Spartan to win Hobey Baker honors back in 1990. Only one goaltender, Minnesota's Robb Stauber in 1988, has been given the top individual award in college hockey.
Besides Miller, the other Hobey Baker Award finalists are forward Erik Anderson from St. Lawrence, New Hampshire goaltender Ty Conklin, Boston College forward Brian Gionta, forward Jeff Hamilton from Yale, Wisconsin wing Dany Heatley, Michigan forward Andy Hilbert, defenseman Kent Huskins from Clarkson, Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold and forward Jeff Panzer from North Dakota.
By conference, the WCHA and ECAC each had three candidates while Hockey East and the CCHA each placed two members. Six forwards, two goalies and two defensemen make up the on-ice mix and includes eight Americans and two Canadians.
The award winner will be announced on Friday, April 6, 2001 at 3:30 pm from Albany, NY during the NCAA Frozen Four championship tournament. A selection committee of 24 members and fan vote (voteforhobey.com) will determine the winner. Following the award winner announcement on April 6, a banquet to honor the Hobey Baker Award winner will take place on Friday, April 20 at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul, Minn.
