UMass Defenseman Cale Makar Wins Hobey Baker Award as College Hockey’s MVP

Makar beat out Harvard’s Adam Fox and St. Cloud State’s Jimmy Schuldt in the first time the award’s three finalists were defensemen.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Massachusetts defenseman Cale Makar has won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey’s top player.

Makar is completing his second season and played a key role in helping the Minutemen advance to their first Frozen Four championship game. College hockey’s awards were announced Friday a day before UMass faces defending champion Minnesota Duluth in the final.

Makar beat out Harvard’s Adam Fox and St. Cloud State’s Jimmy Schuldt in the first time the award’s three finalists were defensemen.

From Calgary, Alberta, Makar has 49 points in 40 games and is two points from becoming the first defenseman to lead the nation in points. He was selected by Colorado with the fourth pick in the 2016 draft.

The Mike Richter award for top goalie went to Northeastern sophomore Cayden Primeau. He finished 25-9-1 and ranked second in the nation with a .933 save percentage. He’s the son of former NHLer Keith Primeau and signed an entry level contract with Montreal last month.

Wisconsin defenseman Jake Bunz earned the Hockey Humanitarian award for establishing The Fond Blanc Foundation to help orphaned children in Haiti.