The Hobey Baker Memorial Award announced today the 2012 recipient of college hockey’s top individual prize is Jack Connolly from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and graduate of Duluth Marshall.

The announcement came during the NCAA Frozen Four championship in a live ceremony held at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa Bay, Florida.

A Hobey top ten finalist for two straight years, Connolly had a terrific season finishing second in the nation in scoring and second in assists.  As a member of the defending national champions, Connolly produced 20 goals and 40 assists for 60 points in 41 games played. 

Hobey Baker Award criteria includes strength of character on and off the ice, displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.  Connolly was selected from a group of ten finalists by a 23-member selection committee and online fan balloting.

A hometown hero from Duluth Marshall, Connolly is two-time All American who lit up the WCHA this past season winning the regular season conference scoring title, being named a First Team all-star for the third consecutive year and topped it all off as the WCHA Player of the Year.  Tremendous skill as a playmaker defined Jack’s game as he had an innate ability to see the ice and make smooth, intelligent puck decisions.

Durability was an added bonus – he never missed a college game, dressing for 166 straight games in donning the Bulldog maroon and gold.  Consistency was another strength - he was held pointless for consecutive games only twice in his four-year career and established a school record 22-game point streak this past season.

Jack is as determined off the ice as he was on it.  A Communications major sporting a 3.3 GPA, he is a three-time All-Academic Student-Athlete in the WCHA.  He’s active in community endeavors helping with trash clean-up in the Adopt-A-Highway program, visiting Duluth hospitals, volunteering with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and working with various cancer fund-raisers.  Hockey runs deep in the Connolly family as Jack’s older brother Chris, was the captain and second leading scorer for Boston University this past season. Connolly is a pro hockey free agent.

Connolly becomes the fifth Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog to be named the award winner.  Previous winners were: Junior Lessard (2004), Chris Marinucci (1994), Bill Watson (1985) and Tom Kurvers (1984).  Minnesota-Duluth has had the most Hobey Baker Award winners.

Connolly will be honored at the Hobey Baker Award Banquet on May 17, 2012 at 317 On Rice Park in Saint Paul.

All of us at Marshall School and Topper Hockey congratulate Jack on his achievement.