John Leonard Named Finalist for Hobey Baker Award

Image

John Leonard, a junior forward, has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2020 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, the top honor in Division I men's college hockey. Leonard is the third Minuteman in program history to be named a finalist, joining 2019 Hobey Baker winner Cale Makar and UMass Hall of Famer and All-American Thomas Poeck who was a Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist in 2004.

The nation’s leading goal scorer with 27 goals in 2019-20, Leonard paced the Minutemen with 37 points, also contributing 10 assists. The First-Team Hockey East All-Star’s 21 goals in league play were not only a program record but marked the most by any Hockey East player since 2010-11. In total, 29 of Leonard’s 37 points came in Hockey East contests and included five game-winning goals over 23 league games. Leonard became UMass’ first-ever winner of the Hockey East PNC Bank Three Stars Award, as well.

A three-time Hockey East player of the Week selection this season, the Amherst native etched his name into the UMass record book in 2019-20. He set the program’s single-season Division I era goals record, which ranks fourth all-time, and became just the sixth member of the 50-goal, 100-point club in UMass history, the first to reach the milestone as a junior in the Division I era.

Phase II of Hobey Baker fan voting is open and votes can be cast daily.