Chicago Blackhawks forward prospect Dylan Sikura was named to the top 10 candidate list for the 2018 Hobey Baker award, by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee on Wednesday. The annual award is given to college hockey’s top player.
Sikura, 22, has 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in his senior season at Northeastern University. He leads the nation in power play goals with 13, and is one of 11 players in the country with at least 30 assists, currently tied for third, and tied for second with 5.03 shots on goal per game.
The 5-foot-11, 174-pounder can become an unrestricted free agent in August if he doesn’t sign an entry-level contract with Chicago. Hawks general manager Stan Bowman said in February he still “absolutely” expects the 2014 draft pick to sign this spring once the Huskies’ season ends.
Sikura is one of six forwards named to the top 10 list, which also has three goaltenders in Cornell’s Matthew Galajda (undrafted), Notre Dame’s Cale Morris (undrafted) and Colgate’s Colton Point (Dallas). St. Cloud State’s Jimmy Schuldt (undrafted) is the lone defenseman.
The other forwards are Henrik Borgstrom of Denver (Florida), Ryan Donato of Harvard (Boston), Adam Gaudette of Northeastern (Vancouver), Dylan McLaughlin of Canisius (undrafted) and C.J. Suess of Minnesota State (Winnipeg).
The ten finalists were selected by voting from all 60 Division I head coaches and an online fan balloting. Next, the 27-member selection committee and an additional round of fan balloting from March 14-25 through the Hobey website at www.hobeybaker.com will determine this year’s Hobey Baker winner.
The three players selected to the Hobey Hat Trick will be announced March 29, and the winner will be named at 5 p.m. Friday, April 6 at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota during the Frozen Four weekend.