The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston has announced the 26 NCAA Division I players that are semifinalists for the 72nd Walter Brown Award, presented annually to the best American-born Division I college hockey player in New England.
The nation’s oldest nationally-recognized college hockey honor, the Walter Brown Award was established in 1953 by the members of the 1933 Massachusetts Rangers, the first American team ever to win the World Championship Tournament. Brown coached the Rangers to the title in Prague, Czechoslovakia, where the team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime in the championship game.
“This is a superb field of semifinalists, with a bit more emphasis on forwards – 19 this year versus 16 a year ago. As always, we’re looking forward to following them closely down the stretch run toward the playoffs,” noted committee chairman Tim Costello in a statement. “We will announce the winner in the final week of March.”
Fourteen teams are represented in the slate of candidates that includes 19 forwards, four defensemen, and three goaltenders. Sixteen semifinalist nominees are from teams in Hockey East. five nominees are from ECAC Hockey, and five are from Atlantic Hockey. Boston College leads the way with five semifinalists, American International, Boston University, Holy Cross, Massachusetts, Merrimack, New Hampshire, Northeastern, and Quinnipiac each have two. Brown, Connecticut, Dartmouth, Harvard, and Sacred Heart have one each.
American International: Sophomore forward John Lundy, graduate forward Dustin Manz
Boston College: Sophomore forward Cutter Gauthier, freshman forward Gabe Perreault, freshman forward Will Smith, freshman forward Ryan Leonard, freshman goalie Jacob Fowler
Boston University: Sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson (2023 winner), senior forward Luke Tuch
Brown: Sophomore forward Ryan St. Louis
Connecticut: Junior forward Chase Bradley
Dartmouth: Sophomore goalie Cooper Black
Harvard: Sophomore forward Joe Miller
Holy Cross: Senior goalie Jason Grande, junior forward Liam McLinskey
Massachusetts: Junior defenseman Scott Morrow, junior defenseman Ryan Ufko
Merrimack: Sophomore defenseman Zach Bookman, junior forward Matt Copponi
New Hampshire: Freshman forward Ryan Conmy, sophomore forward Cy LeClerc
Northeastern: Sophomore forward Jack Williams, senior forward Gunnarwolfe Fontaine
Quinnipiac: Junior forward Collin Graf, sophomore forward Sam Lipkin
Sacred Heart: Graduate forward T.J. Walsh
