The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced the semifinalists for this year’s Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goalie in men’s NCAA Division I hockey since 2014.
Ten goaltenders from a watch list of 30 were singled out by a panel of voters from across the hockey community.
Seven of the goalies come from the United States and three from Canada. Minnesota and Quebec lead the way with a pair each. Two are graduate students, two are seniors, three are juniors, one is a sophomore and two are freshmen. Two were semifinalists last year in Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel and Minnesota’s Justen Close.
Three finalists will be announced in early March and the winner of this year’s award will be announced in April during the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.
The six NCAA Division I conferences are all represented among the semifinalists with the Big Ten boasting four goalies, ECAC Hockey with two and Atlantic Hockey, the CCHA, Hockey East and the NCHC with one each.
Semifinalists for 2024 Mike Richter Award
Trey Augustine, Michigan State, FR
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame, GR *
Justen Close, Minnesota, GR *
Vinny Duplessis, Quinnipiac, SR
Jacob Fowler, Boston College, FR
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College, SO
Kyle McClellan, Wisconsin, SR
Tommy Scarfone, RIT, JR
Ian Shane, Cornell, JR
Jake Sibell, St. Thomas, JR
*2023 semifinalist
Past Richter Award recipients: 2014 – Connor Hellebuyck, UMass Lowell; 2015 – Zane McIntyre, North Dakota; 2016 – Thatcher Demko, Boston College; 2017 – Tanner Jaillet, Denver; 2018 – Cale Morris, Notre Dame; 2019 – Cayden Primeau, Northeastern; 2020 – Jeremy Swayman, Maine; 2021 – Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota; 2022 – Devon Levi, Northeastern; 2023 – Devon Levi, Northeastern.
