Hobey Hat Trick an all-Boston affair

Northeastern University goaltender Brad Thiessen and Boston University forward Colin Wilson and defenseman Matt Gilroy were named as the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given to college hockey's top player.

It's the first time in the nine years of the current Hobey Baker Award format that all three Hobey Hat Trick finalists came from one conference -- all three play in Hockey East. This is just the second time that two players from the same school have been included in the Hobey Hat Trick; Brett Sterling and eventual winner Marty Sertich of Colorado College were among the three finalists in 2005.

The winner will be announced on April 10 from Verizon Center in Washington during the NCAA Frozen Four.

Thiessen led the Huskies to one of the best seasons in school history, posting a 25-12-4 record, 2.12 goals against average, three shutouts and .931 save percentage in 41 games. He played every minute in net for Northeastern, which lost to Cornell last Saturday in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
In 2008-09, Thiessen had 6 games in which he allowed allowing one goal or less, and 24 games allowing two goals or less. Northeastern was 19-1-4 in those games.

Gilroy, a senior co-captain recently, became the first defenseman in the 25-year history of Hockey East to be named to the league's first team three times. He led all conference  defensemen in points with 36 on 8 goals and 28 assists, and leads a Terrier defense that has allowed just 1.95 goals per game, good for third in the country. He has played in 144 consecutive games and boasts a career rating of plus-77, including a plus-21 rating this season.

Wilson, a sophomore taken No. 7 in the 2008 Entry Draft by Nashville and the son of former NHL player Carey Wilson, led Hockey East in scoring with 52 points (15 goals, 37 assists), the third-highest total in the nation. He was the Hockey East rookie of the year in 2007-08, and he's the first BU player to break the 50-point mark since Chris Drury, now with the New York Rangers, did it in 1997-98.