"Obviously when my name was called it was super exciting," Howard said. "Such an incredible honor and I was really pumped."

Often referred to as the "Heisman of college hockey," the Hobey Baker Award is the sport’s most prestigious individual honor. In recent years, NHL stars such as Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche have claimed the award.

It was a challenging journey. Howard beat out Denver defenseman Zeev Buium and Boston College forward Ryan Leonard — now with the Washington Capitals — to earn the award. He was selected from a pool of 10 finalists as the top player in college hockey.

Howard finished the season with 52 total points, 26 goals and 26 assists; the highest point total of a Spartan since the 2018-2019 season. He finished with First Team-All Big Ten honors and received the Big Ten Player of the Year award. The forward was also the Big Ten Scoring Champion.

Howard has helped lead Michigan State to multiple championships and milestone moments. The Spartans returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2024 for the first time since 2012 and won back-to-back Big Ten regular season and tournament titles. They also claimed their first Duel in the D win at Little Caesars Arena and captured the Great Lakes Invitational.

Howard will return to Michigan State for the 2025–26 season, using his final year of eligibility. After that, he could sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning — who hold his NHL rights — or explore free agency in August 2026.