The Hobey Baker Award will hold a combination golf outing and banquet on Thursday, Aug. 6, to honor the 2020 Hobey winner, Minnesota Duluth defenseman Scott Perunovich.
The event will take place at The Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo, Minn., and will also honor the Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey for 2020, longtime coach Rick Comley.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of live entertainment including our originally scheduled banquet/golf outing for June,” said Hobey 2020 chairman Chuck Ranney in a statement. “As the nation is slowly reopening, we are moving ahead with our plans and will have proper protocols in place for this event.”
In addition to honoring Perunovich and Comley, the golf/banquet outing will include the two other Hobey Hat Trick finalists in North Dakota forward Jordan Kawaguchi and Maine goalie Jeremy Swayman.
“When the sports world came to a screeching halt in mid-March, that included the NCAA Frozen Four championship tournament, where we usually announce our winner in a formal presentation,” said Ranney. “Since these three student athletes never had an opportunity to enjoy their national recognition, we wanted to honor all three finalists at this event.”
Following the college hockey season, Perunovich signed a pro contract with the St. Louis Blues and Swayman signed with the Boston Bruins. Kawaguchi has already announced his plans to return to North Dakota for his senior season.
Perunovich became the first defenseman to lead the NCHC in conference scoring and finished tenth overall in the nation while leading the country in assists by a defenseman with 34 in 34 games.
Comley guided three different college programs over his 38-year career winning titles with Northern Michigan in 1991 and Michigan State in 2007. He had 738 career wins, becoming only the fifth head coach to surpass 700 victories.
The Hobey Baker golf/banquet outing will also include a silent auction of sports memorabilia along with a cigar roller on site. The banquet will be held in an outdoor tent with limited seating at each table. ESPN commentator Clay Matvick is set to serve as the event’s master of ceremonies.
Tickets for the banquet can be purchased at hobeybaker.com/banquet.
