DENVER – The University of Denver hockey program announced its 2021-22 team awards on Wednesday night at its 65th annual awards banquet with senior captain
Cole Guttman being named the
Bill Masterton Team MVP, junior
Bobby Brink being chosen as the
Dallas Gaume Offensive Player of the Year and
Carter Mazur being recognized as the
Barry Sharp Freshman of the Year to highlight the event at Magness Arena.
Guttman was honored with the
Dr. Ralph Verploeg Most Inspirational Player Award as well, and freshman
Carter King also picked up a pair of accolades as the
Dr. Ken Bredesen Most Sportsmanlike Player and the
Murray Armstrong Most Improved Player.
The full list of DU hockey award winners:
Guttman, the 92nd captain in Denver hockey history, earned MVP and most inspirational honors after recording career highs with 19 goals, 26 assists and 45 points, tying for second on the team in scoring in 2021-22. He became the 101st player to join DU's 100-point club on Jan. 20 at Colorado College and the 60th Pioneer to score 50 career goals on Feb. 11 vs. Minnesota Duluth. One of the top faceoff men in the country (61.6 winning percentage), Guttman was also named an All-NCHC Honorable Mention and was voted as the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Loveland Regional.
Brink picks up the Dallas Gaume Offensive Player Award after leading the nation with 57 points and 43 assists, becoming just the second Pioneer to finish the season first in the NCAA in scoring (Ed Beers, 1981-82). A Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist, Brink finished with the most points by a DU player since Gabe Gauthier in 2004-05 (57) and the most assists since Dave Shields in 1989-90. He was named a West First-Team All-American, the NCHC Player and Forward of the Year and recorded points in 32-of-41 contests, including posting a career-long point streak of 14 games from Dec. 31-Feb. 19 (seven goals, 21 assists).
Lee was recognized as the Pioneers' defensive player of the year after he blocked 33 shots, recorded 15 penalty minutes and finished with a plus-23 rating, tied for the third-highest on the team. He also posted career highs in assists (13) and points (16) while also added three goals.
Mazur earned top freshman honors from the team after also being named the NCHC Rookie of the Year. He finished second in the country in scoring among freshman and was first among forwards after producing 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 41 games. Mazur was named the NCHC Rookie of the Month on three occasions, including in March/April when he had seven points in nine games to help Denver win the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champions and the NCAA National Championship.
King was recognized as the most sportsmanlike and most improved player as he played in 36 games after appearing in just three during the shortened 2020-21 season. He recorded three goals and eight assists, including posting a career-high three helpers on Nov. 20 vs. Miami and collecting three short-handed points during the year (one goal, two assists).
Krenzen finished his junior season with the Pioneers by being named to the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team and an NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete for the third-straight year. He won his second-straight Art Mason Award as the top scholar-athlete and was a DU Athletics Scholar-Athlete of the Year with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.95.
Caruso, one of the Pioneers' backup goaltenders, is the hockey team's representative for the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Council and helped with campus engagement. The winner of the 2021-22 Bob Martin Community Service Award has also used his time to help teach youth goaltenders throughout the Denver metro area.
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