FIRST STARC Evan Barratt (Penn State)THE NUMBERS: 19 GP, 13 G, 17 A
Evan Barratt's rise from third-round NHL draft pick to one of the top players in college hockey has been so meteoric, it's almost alarming when the Penn State sophomore goes a few weeks without doing something historic. Barratt restored order on Wednesday by landing a Hobey Baker Award nomination, given annually to the NCAA's top hockey player. Barratt's nomination is no surprise, as he ranks fourth in the country in goals per game and sixth in assists per game, adding his 17th helper of the season in Penn State's 4-2 win over Michigan State on January 11.
SECOND STARD Ian Mitchell (Denver)THE NUMBERS: 18 GP, G 3, A 12
Joining Barratt on the list of the Hobey Baker nominees is Denver's Ian Mitchell, a young Canadian defenseman currently starring for the Denver Pioneers. After returning from a WJC appearance with Canada, in which he was the only NCAA player to earn a spot on his country's roster, Mitchell has averaged a point per game for the Pioneers (1 G, 3 A). With time running out against Omaha on Saturday, Mitchell blasted home his third goal of the season to tie things up at 2-2 in the game's final two minutes, before the Pioneers won in overtime.
THIRD STAR C Dylan Sikura (Rockford)THE NUMBERS: 30 GP, 11 G, 11 A
A former Hobey Baker nominee himself, Dylan Sikura picked up where he left off with Rockford following a lengthy NHL stint. In three games with the IceHogs this month, Sikura has tallied four points, scoring twice over the weekend for Rockford. Through 29 AHL games this season, the Northeastern product has yet to go more than two games without recording a point.
ROCKFORD REPORT:
The IceHogs grabbed a point over the weekend in a shootout loss to the Texas Stars, but dropped their next two games to the San Antonio Rampage. Falling short in eight of their league-high 13 overtime games this season, the IceHogs sit seven points from a spot in the AHL playoffs. With Dylan Sikura leading the way, the IceHogs have received contributions from Lucas Carlsson, who recorded two assists over the weekend, and Victor Ejdsell, who scored in a 2-1 loss to San Antonio on Tuesday.
