Harvard’s Vesey wins Hobey Baker

After making the top three for the award in 2015, Harvard senior forward Jimmy Vesey won the 2016 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey’s top player. Vesey beat out Boston College goalie Thatcher Demko and Michigan forward Kyle Connor.

2016 Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey

Vesey was the third round pick of Nashville in 2012, but turned down opportunity join the Predators following the season. He will become a free agent and can sign with any team after Aug. 15.

Vesey is one of five Crimson players to eclipse the 80-goal mark for his career, and tied his head coach, Ted Donato, for 12th on the career point list with 144.

For two years in a row, Vesey is the Ivy League Player of the Year, the ECAC Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference and a repeat winner of the Walter Brown Award as the top American-born player in New England.

Vesey is the fourth Hobey honoree from Harvard joining Mark Fusco (1983), Scott Fusco (1986) and Lane MacDonald (1989). They are the only four Hobey winners from current ECAC Hockey schools. Vesey also became the third straight winner to play their college hockey in Boston, after Boston University’s Jack Eichel won last year, and Boston College’s Johnny Gaudreau in 2014.

American Hockey Coaches Association/CCM first-team All-Americans

East:

G: Alex Lyon, Junior, Yale University

D: Matt Grzelcyk, Senior, Boston University

D: Jake Walman, Sophomore, Providence College

F: Sam Anas, Junior, Quinnipiac University

F: Andrew Poturalski, Sophomore, New Hampshire

F: Jimmy Vesey, Senior, Harvard University

West:

G: Charlie Lindgren, Junior, St. Cloud State University

D: Ethan Prow, Senior, St. Cloud State University

D: Zach Werenski, Sophomore, University of Michigan

F: Brock Boeser, Freshman, University of North Dakota

F: Kyle Connor, Freshman, University of Michigan

F: Tyler Motte, Junior, University of Michigan

Second-team All-Americans

East:

G: Thatcher Demko, Junior, Boston College

D: Gavin Bayreuther, Junior, St. Lawrence University

D: Rob O’Gara, Senior, Yale University

F: Ryan Fitzgerald, Junior, Boston College

F: Mark Jankowski, Senior, Providence College

F: Danny O’Regan, Senior, Boston University

West

G: Cam Johnson, Sophomore, University of North Dakota

D: Will Butcher, Junior, University of Denver

D: Troy Stecher, Junior, University of North Dakota

F: Drake Caggiula, Senior, University of North Dakota

F: J.T. Compher, Senior, University of Michigan

F: Alex Petan, Senior, Michigan Technological University