ALBANY, N.Y. - Ryan Miller’s season may have ended Thursday, but he still has a chance for one more win this weekend at the Frozen Four.
Miller is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award - college hockey’s most prestigious individual trophy - which will be awarded today at 2:30 p.m. at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center.
The presentation will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit.
“I’d like to win it, but that’s not what’s important,” Miller said. “The team is what’s important.”
Each of this year’s Frozen Four teams are led by their Hobey finalist - Miller, North Dakota forward Jeff Panzer, Boston College forward Brian Gionta, and Michigan forward Andy Hilbert.
Panzer’s Fighting Sioux eliminated the No. 1-seed Spartans from the NCAA Tournament by a 2-0 score Thursday afternoon.
Votes for the Hobey were due late last month and popular speculation has Miller in a three-horse race with Panzer and Gionta.
“It’s an honor just to be mentioned with guys like Panzer and Gionta, who have done so much in their careers,” Miller said.
Should Miller win, he would be the first Spartan to receive the award since his cousin Kip Miller won in 1990.
And he would be the first goaltender to take home the hardware since Minnesota’s Robb Stauber in 1988.
The 6-foot-2, 161-pounder from East Lansing has dominated college hockey this season, shattering the 70-year-old NCAA career shutout record and leading the nation in every major statistical category.
His .950 saves percentage is on pace to break the single-season record of .947 set last year. And his goals against average (1.31) is far and away the best in the country.
He was also named the first-team goaltender on the West All-America team Thursday.
His eastern competitor, Gionta, is a three-time finalist for the award and leads the nation with 33 goals this season. He is also the Hockey East Player of the Year.
Panzer, another senior, leads the nation with 81 points (26 goals and 55 assists) and has guided the Sioux to back-to-back national championship games.
Those are the three leading contenders, but here’s a look at some other finalists that could sneak into the mix today:
