MINNEAPOLIS -- After earning several individual awards from the Big Ten, Gophers defenseman Mike Reilly earned a national honor Thursday.
Reilly was named as one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given annually to the top player in college hockey. Reilly, a junior from Chanhassen, Minn., currently leads all defensemen in the nation -- as well as all Gophers -- in scoring with 42 points (6 goals, 36 assists) in 36 games. Earlier this week he was tabbed as the Big Ten's Defenseman of the Year.
"This is a terrific honor for Mike and a testament to his hard work and dedication," Minnesota head coach Don Lucia said in a statement. "Mike has developed into an elite hockey player and he is a great representative for the University of Minnesota. As a student-athlete, he works just as hard off the ice as he does on it, and he certainly deserves to be recognized as one of the best college hockey players in the nation this year."
Reilly is hoping to become the fifth Gopher to win the Hobey Baker Award and the first since current Minnesota Wild defenseman Jordan Leopold won it in 2002. The list of 10 players will be narrowed to the Hobey Hat Trick of three finalists by April 2. The winner will be announced on April 10. Jack Eichel, a freshman forward for Boston University who leads all scorers with 61 points, is viewed by many as the Hobey Baker frontrunner.
On Wednesday, Reilly was asked about the individual honors he received from the Big Ten. Like those awards, though, he knows the Hobey Baker nomination won't mean a ton if the Gophers don't finish the year on a high note.
"It's pretty cool, but it's something that doesn't mean that much unless you get into the tournament and can do some damage," Reilly said. "It's pretty cool, though. You'll look back on it in a few years and it'll be pretty special."
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