The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston announced Monday the 25 semifinalists for the 70th Walter Brown Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England.
The nation’s oldest nationally-recognized college hockey honor, the award was established in 1953 by the members of the 1933 Massachusetts Rangers, the first American team ever to win the World Championship Tournament. Brown coached the Rangers to the title in Prague, Czechoslovakia, where the team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime in the championship game.
Twelve teams are represented in the slate of candidates that includes 14 forwards, seven defensemen, and four goaltenders. Fourteen nominees are from teams in Hockey East, seven from ECAC Hockey and four are from Atlantic Hockey.
“With all of the teams back in action this season after an abbreviated campaign last year due to COVID, we have six more semifinalists than we had a year ago,” said Walter Brown Award selection committee chairman Tim Costello in a statement. “This field of candidates shows strong representation from all three conferences and a balanced blend of forwards, defensemen, and goalies.”
The Gridiron Club will announce the finalists and winner of the 70th Walter Brown Award in late March, before the start of NCAA tournament play.
Six of the 2022 nominees were semifinalists a year ago: Boston College forward Marc McLaughlin; Boston University forward Jay O’Brien, Northeastern defenseman Jordan Harris, Providence goalie Jaxson Stauber, New Hampshire forward Jackson Pierson, and UMass forward Bobby Trivigno, who was the 2021 Walter Brown Award winner.
American International:
Sophomore goaltender Jake Kucharski
Grad student forward Brian Rigali
Bentley:
Sophomore defenseman Drew Bavaro
Boston College:
Senior forward Marc McLaughlin *
Senior defenseman Jack St. Ivany
Boston University:
Sophomore goaltender Drew Commesso
Junior forward Jay O’Brien *
Harvard:
Junior forward Nick Abruzzese
Sophomore forward Sean Farrell
Sophomore forward Alex Laferriere
Junior defenseman Henry Thrun
Massachusetts:
Freshman defenseman Scott Morrow
Senior forward Bobby Trivigno *
Merrimack:
Junior defenseman Declan Carlisle
Junior forward Liam Walsh
New Hampshire:
Senior forward Jackson Pierson *
Northeastern:
Senior defenseman Jordan Harris *
Junior forward Aidan McDonough
Providence:
Sophomore forward Brett Berard
Junior forward Parker Ford
Junior goaltender Jaxson Stauber *
Quinnipiac:
Senior forward Wyatt Bongiovanni
Senior defenseman Zach Metsa
Grad student goaltender Dylan St. Cyr
Sacred Heart:
Senior forward Austin Magera
* = 2021 semifinalist
