General | 4/7/2023 5:32:26 PM

The Hobey Baker Award committee has announced that Adam Fantilli, who played for the USHL's Chicago Steel In 2020-21 and 2021-22, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's college hockey.

Fantilli, a freshman forward with the University of Michigan who was also named the recipient of the Tim Taylor Award as the National Rookie of the Year, led the country in scoring this year with 64 points on 29 goals and 35 assists in 35 games.  Eligible for the NHL Draft this summer where he's projected as one of the top prospects, the Toronto, Ont., native had 55-55—110 in 103 games in his two campaigns in Chicago.

Including last year's winner Dryden McKay (Minnesota State), who played with the Madison Capitols and the Green Bay Gamblers, 14 former USHL players have been Hobey Baker Award recipients since the award was inaugurated in 1981.

The American Hockey Coaches Association also announced its All-America teams for 2022-23 and 17 former USHL players were selected either first or second team.

East First Team                                                                                 West First Team
Lane Hutson, Boston (NTDP 2020-22)                                              Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech (Cedar Rapids 2017-19)
Henry Thrun, Harvard (NTDP 2017-21)                                             Brock Faber, Minnesota (NTDP 2018-20)
Sean Farrell (Harvard (NTDP/Chicago 2017-21)                               Luke Hughes, Michigan (NTDP 2019-21)
                                                                                                           Logan Cooley, Minnesota (NTDP 2020-22)
East Second Team                                                                           Adam Fantilli, Michigan (Chicago 2020-22)
Sam Malinski, Cornell (Cedar Rapids 2017-18)                                Matt Knies, Minnesota (Tri-City 2018-21)
Zach Metsa, Quinnipiac (WAT/SF/YNG/CI) 2014-18)                         
Matt Brown, Boston University (DBQ/DM 2017-19)                          West Second Team
Matthew Coronato, Harvard (Chicago 2019-21)                               Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame (Fargo 2016-19)
Alex Jefferies, Merrimack (Dubuque 2018-19)                                 Carter Mazur, Denver (NTDP/TC 2018-21)
                                                                                                          Jason Polin, Western Michigan (Cedar Rapids 2016-19)
 
On Thursday, University of Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko was named the recipient of the Spencer Penrose Award as the national coach of the year. Motzko has a long history with the USHL that dates back to the 1979-80 season when he played for Waterloo and in 1980-81 when he suited up for Dubuque.  The Austin, Minn., native served as head coach and general manager with North Iowa from 1986-91 and head coach and general manager with Sioux Falls 1998-01.
                                                                                               
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