The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation announced the three finalists – the ‘Hobey Hat Trick’ – for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award given annually to the national player of the year. Zeev Buium, Denver Hockey’s do-it-all wunderkind sophomore defenseman, is among the three finalists. DU senior forward Jack Devine, named a Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist for the second-straight year, missed out on the top three.
And your 2025 Hat Trick Finalists are…. #hobeybaker @du_hockey @msu_hockey @bc_mhockey @thenchc @b1ghockey @hockey_east @drinkbodyarmor @teamech pic.twitter.com/j811C8BkWc
— Hobey Baker Award (@HobeyBakerAward) April 3, 2025
The other two finalists are Michigan State’s Isaac Howard and Boston College’s Ryan Leonard, who just signed his first NHL deal with the Washington Capitals and made his pro debut earlier this week. Howard is tied with Arizona State’s Ryan Kirwan for third in goals scored this year (26) while Leonard leads the country in the category with 30 in just 37 games.
The 12th-overall pick in last summer’s draft (MIN), Buium leads all Division I defensemen with 48 points this season with 13 goals and 35 assists, which is also tops among defensemen in Division I and trails only Devine, who has 44. He is the third DU defenseman to be named to the Hat Trick. The other two – Matt Carle in 2006 and Will Butcher in 2017 – each won the award.
The winner will be named during an NHL Network-televised ceremony next Friday (April 11) evening at 5 pm CT at the Stifel Theater in St. Louis. The ceremony is open to the public.
Top photo courtesy Jim Rosvold, USCHO
Can’t wait to attend the ceremony and cheer for Zeev as he receives this award!
Zeev is long shot. Leonard will win it.