Minnesota Hockey: Ben Meyers a Hobey Hat Trick Finalist

On Thursday it was announced that Minnesota Gophers junior forward Ben Meyers is one of three Hobey Hat Trick Finalists. He joins Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay and Denver’s Bobby Brink as the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award given out to the best player in men’s college hockey.

Meyers becomes the first Gopher since eventual winner Jorden Leopold in 2002 to be named a top-three finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He will hope to join Leopold, Neal Broten, Robb Stauber, and Brian Bonin as the fifth Gopher to ever win the award since it’s inception in 1981.

Meyers has had am amazing second half of the season. The Big Ten Player of the Year competed wiht the US Olympic Team in Beijing and was the USA’s second leading scorer. A captain for the Gophers he has helped Minnesota back to the NCAA Frozen Four fir the first time since 2014. He led the regional with four points (one goal, three assists) and scored the overtime winner against UMass on Friday to help Minnesota advance.

Meyers leads the Gophers with 17 goals and 41 points in 33 games. In his seven games he has played since returning from China and the Olympics, Meyers has been absolutely on fire recording 15 points (six goals, nine assists).

Meyers joins Brink and McKay advancing from the initial list of Top Ten candidates by the 30-member selection committee and an additional round of online fan balloting to determine this year’s Hobey Baker Award winner. Criteria for the Hobey Baker Award involves lots of hockey skills but also excellence off the ice in strength of character on and off the ice; sportsmanship and scholastic achievements. Meyers is a two time Academic All-Big Ten and holds a 3.54 GPA in the Carlson School of Management.

The Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday, April 8, 2022 live on NHL Network beginning at 5:00 p.m. CT on the day between the semifinals and Championship Game of the Frozen Four. All three finalists will be participating in the Frozen Four this season with Meyers taking on McKay’s Mavericks on Thursday night in the late semifinal.

Minnesota’s semifinal game against Minnesota State will now air on ESPNU at 7:30 Thursday night. The game was originally to air on ESPN2 but was bumped for MLB as that day—April 7th is now the new Opening Day for MLB after the season was delayed a week due to the owner’s lockout. So make sure you have ESPN U available to watch, or know a place that will have the channel to be able to watch the game.