McKenna, Augustine among 10 Hobey Baker candidates

Gavin McKenna was named one of 10 candidates for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Wednesday.

The award is presented annually to recognize the top NCAA men's hockey player.

The three Hobey Hat Trick finalists will be revealed April 3, and the winner will be announced during the Frozen Four on April 10, the day before the national championship game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

McKenna, No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, ranks second in NCAA men's ice hockey with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) and a 1.50 points-per game average as a freshman at Penn State University.

Two of the finalists have been selected in the first round of the NHL Draft: Boston College forward James Hagens (2025, No. 7, Boston Bruins), and Michigan State forward Charlie Stramel (2023, No. 21, Minnesota Wild).

The 10 candidates were selected via voting from all 64 NCAA Division I college hockey coaches and online fan balloting.

Isaac Howard of Michigan State University, currently playing for Bakersfield, the Edmonton Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate, won the award last season.

Here's a look at the 10 candidates (listed in alphabetical order):

Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State University

Augustine can become the second goalie to win the Hobey Baker in the past 25 years; Minnesota State goalie Dryden McKay won the award in 2022. The junior is the No. 1 goalie for the No. 1-ranked team in the country and is 23-8-1 with a 2.09 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and three shutouts in 32 games. The Detroit Red Wings selected the 21-year-old in the second round (No. 41) of the 2023 NHL Draft. Goalie Ryan Miller is the last Michigan State player to win the Hobey Baker (2001). 

James Hagens, F, Boston College

Hagens has benefitted from returning for another season, currently ranking 11th in college hockey with 45 points (23 goals, 22 assists) in 33 games. Playing wing for most of the season, the 19-year-old sophomore has 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in a 13-game point streak that started with two points (one goal, one assist) in a 4-1 win at rival Boston University on Jan. 30. He is seventh in college hockey with an average of 1.36 points per game.

T.J. Hughes, F, University of Michigan

The 24-year-old senior forward is tied for third in the NCAA with 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) in 36 games this season. Hughes was only held off the score sheet seven times this season and had 16 multipoint games and was named the Big Ten player of the year. The Michigan captain has led the team in scoring the past two seasons.

Gavin McKenna, F, Penn State University

McKenna, the sixth-youngest player in NCAA hockey this season, was named the Big Ten freshman of the year Wednesday. The 18-year-old forward is the first Penn State ice hockey player to earn Big Ten scoring champion honors, finishing with 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 24 conference games. The Whitehorse, Yukon, native became the first Penn State rookie and third player all-time to eclipse 50 points in a season. McKenna's 51 points are the second-most in a single-season all-time at Penn State, two shy of Aiden Fink's program record from last season (53 points).

Max Plante, F, University of Minnesota Duluth

The 20-year-old sophomore forward is tied for fifth in the country in goals (23) and is fifth in points (48) in 37 games. He had two assists in a 2-1 win against St. Cloud State on March 7, his 14th multipoint game of the season. Plante was chosen by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round (No. 47) in the 2024 NHL Draft. His older brother, Zam Plante, 21, is a Minnesota Duluth teammate who was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round (No. 150) of the 2022 NHL Draft, and their younger brother, Victor Plante, who plays for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 Team, is No. 36 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters for the 2026 draft. Victor will attend Minnesota Duluth next season. Their father, Derek Plante, played 450 NHL games for the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers from 1993-2001 and is a professional scout for the Ottawa Senators.

Eric Pohlkamp, D, University of Denver

Pohlkamp leads college hockey defensemen with 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists) and 166 shots on goal, and is tied for 12th in blocked shots (72) in 38 games. The 21-year-old junior, who played one season at Bemidji State University before transferring to Denver for the 2024-25 season, was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round (No. 132) of the 2023 draft.

Hayden Stavroff, F, Dartmouth College

The 21-year-old sophomore forward leads all NCAA players with 28 goals and is tied for sixth with 47 points in 32 games. Stavroff extended his point streak to seven games (six goals, eight assists) with an assist in a 4-1 win against Colgate on March 14. An NHL free agent, Stavroff took part in Washington Capitals development camp prior to the season.

Charlie Stramel, F, Michigan State University

The senior center, who played his first two college seasons at the University of Wisconsin before joining Michigan State in 2024-25, is tied for 12th in NCAA hockey with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 35 games. The 21-year-old had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) during a seven-game point streak (Nov. 8-28). 

Felix Trudeau, F, Sacred Heart University

The 23-year-old senior forward ranks second in the NCAA in goals (25) and is tied for sixth in points (47). Trudeau, 19, who also leads the NCAA in power-play goals (12), is the first Sacred Heart player to be named a top 10 finalist. He was named the Atlantic Hockey America Player and Forward of the Year.

Ethan Wyttenbach, F, Quinnipiac University

The 19-year-old freshman forward leads the NCAA with 58 points (24 goals, 34 assists) in 38 games. He has eight multipoint games in his past 12, with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) over that stretch. The Calgary Flames selected Wyttenbach in the fifth round (No. 144) of the 2025 draft.