DENVER – University of Denver hockey has three players up for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award, given annually to college hockey's top player. Senior forward Jack Devine, junior forward Aidan Thompson and sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium are among 21 players from the NCHC and 91 in the nation that are nominated for this year's honor.
 
The 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced on April 11 during this year's NCAA Frozen Four festivities in St. Louis, Missouri.
 
Devine was a Hobey Baker top-10 finalist a year ago and is once again among the nation's leaders in scoring. He leads all NCAA players in assists and is presently tied for fifth with 31 points. The Glencoe, Illinois, native has recorded at least one point in 19-of-22 games this season and went on a pair of career-best eight-game point streaks from Oct. 5-Nov. 2 (1g/15a) and Nov. 9-Dec. 13 (1g/10a). Devine was named both the NCHC and National Player of the Month for October after leading all players with 14 points (1g/13a) in six games.
 
Thompson is a first-time Hobey Baker nominee and currently ranks tied for eighth in the NCAA with 29 points, tied for 10th with 13 goals and tied for 22nd with 16 assists. He shares the DU lead in tallies and his six power-play markers rank tied for seventh overall in the country. The Fort Collins, Colorado, native went on a season-opening 14-game point streak (10g/12a), which was a personal-best streak and the longest such stretch to begin a campaign by a Pioneer in the last 10 years. Thompson was named the NCHC November Player of the Month after pacing all league skaters in goals (6-tied) and points (11).
 
Buium is a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award for the second-straight season after producing 50 points as a freshman a year ago. The San Diego, California, is a bit ahead of last year's total by averaging 1.2 points per game and is leading all NCAA defensemen with 19 assists and 24 points (tied); his 19 helpers are tied for fourth overall among all skaters in the country. Buium has recorded three points in a game three times this season, which included scoring three goals on Nov 15 at North Dakota to become just the 12th defenseman in DU history and the first since 2004 to record a hat trick. He also helped the United States to its second-straight gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships on Jan. 5.
 
Denver is one of 14 programs in the NCAA and join conference members Arizona State, Colorado College, St. Cloud State and Western Michigan with three nominees.
 
The Hobey Baker Award is given to the recipient that exhibits the exceptional character traits shown by the award's namesake, Hobey Baker. A legendary American hero, Baker was a World War I fighter pilot and was known as America's greatest amateur athlete in his day, excelling at hockey and football at Princeton University. Award candidates must demonstrate strength of character both on and off the ice, contribute to the integrity of his team and display outstanding skills in all phases of the game. Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and sportsmanship, as well.
 
The annual first round of fan voting begins today, Jan. 22 and takes into account a percentage of the total ballot. Fans can cast their vote by visiting https://www.hobeybaker.com/vote.
 
The top 10 finalists will be announced on March 19, the three Hobey Hat Trick finalists will be named on April 3 and the award will be presented on April 11 at the Frozen Four during a nationally-broadcast event on NHL Network. A second round of fan balloting is set for March 19-30 after the top-10 finalists are determined.
 
Each school is allowed to nominate up to three players for the award, while a committee ultimately votes on and selects the Hobey Baker Award finalists and winner.
 
The Pioneers have had two previous Hobey Baker Award winners in Matt Carle in 2006 and Will Butcher in 2017.
 

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