Three U.S. college hockey players with ties to the British Columbia Hockey League are amongst the final 10 nominees for the Hobey Baker Award — given to the top NCAA Division 1 hockey player in the nation.
Matt Garbowsky, a Powell River Kings grad and the 2011 Coastal Conference MVP, is now a senior at RIT in Rochester, NY. The native of St. George, Ont. has been among the top scorers in NCAA hockey all season.
In his two years with Powell River (2010-12), Garbowsky scored 87 goals and added 85 assists for 172 points in 146 games played.
His final year at RIT saw Garbowsky wear the ‘C’ for his team and collect 54 points (26 goals, 28 assists) in just 40 games.
Mike Reilly
Defenceman Joey LaLeggia, who played for the Penticton Vees for two seasons and was the Interior Conference MVP in 2011, is in his final year at the University of Denver.
An offensively-gifted blueliner who hails from Burnaby, LaLeggia has racked up 49 goals and 82 assists for 131 points in his four-year career at Denver. His three years in Penticton were highlighted by an outstanding 2010-11 campaign that saw LaLeggia tally 20 goals and 62 assists for 82 points.
Mike Reilly, also a defenceman and Vees grad, is currently a junior at the University of Minnesota. The 2012 Interior Conference Top Defenceman, Reilly is a draft pick of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. His hometown is Chanhassen, Minn.
Reilly played just one season with Penticton (2011-12), recording 24 goals and 59 assists in the regular season for 83 points.
This season with the Gophers, the 21-year-old Reilly has averaged over a point a game. There has been much speculation recently that Reilly might forego his final season of college hockey and either sign with the Blue Jackets or test free agency like another BCHL alumni, Justin Schulz of the Edmonton Oilers.
Joey LaLeggia
Online fan voting for the Hobey Baker Award is open to the public. The top-10 finalists will be narrowed down to a hat trick of three, with the winner announced during the NCAA Frozen Four from April 9 to 11.
