Drew LeBlanc didn’t reach the national championship game with St. Cloud State, but he picked up one piece of hardware from his trip.
LeBlanc was named the 2013 Hobey Baker Award winner on Friday at Consol Energy Center, one day after the Huskies lost to Quinnipiac in the Frozen Four semifinals.
[scg_html_ff2013]Tenth nationally in points per game and the national leader with 37 assists, LeBlanc returned from a compound left leg fracture last season to captain St. Cloud State to its first Frozen Four appearance.
With 13 goals, LeBlanc has the lowest goals total of a Hobey-winning forward, a list that includes 25 of the 33 winners.
He beat out fellow Hobey Hat Trick finalists Eric Hartzell of Quinnipiac and Johnny Gaudreau of Boston College, as well as seven other finalists who were on the ballot given to the 23-person selection committee after the NCAA regionals.
Each of the three Hat Trick finalists was the player of the year in his conference, but LeBlanc also was the WCHA’s student-athlete of the year.
The criteria for the award include displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.
Voting by coaches determined the original list of 10 finalists that also included St. Lawrence forward Greg Carey, Niagara goaltender Carsen Chubak, Miami forward Austin Czarnik, St. Lawrence forward Kyle Flanagan, North Dakota forwards Corban Knight and Danny Kristo and Nebraska-Omaha forward Ryan Walters.
LeBlanc is the first St. Cloud State player to win the Hobey, and the 16th from a WCHA team.
Check back for more coverage from the Hobey Baker Award ceremony.
