Beniers, Smith, Hughes among 10 Hobey Baker finalists

Matty Beniers
, a Seattle Kraken forward prospect in his second season at the University of Michigan, was announced as one of 10 candidates for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Wednesday.

The Hobey Baker Award is presented annually to recognize the top NCAA men's hockey player.
The three finalists for the 2022 Hobey Baker Award will be revealed March 31, and the winner will be announced at the Frozen Four in Boston on April 8.
Beniers (6-foot-2, 175 pounds), selected by the Kraken with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, is a finalist for the Big Ten Player of the Year. The 19-year-old leads Michigan with 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) in 33 games.
Five of the 10 finalists have been drafted by NHL teams. Along with Beniers are Denver forward
Bobby Brink
(Philadelphia Flyers), Minnesota State forward
Nathan Smith
(Winnipeg Jets), Michigan defenseman
Luke Hughes
(New Jersey Devils) and Northeastern goalie
Devon Levi
(Buffalo Sabres).
The 10 candidates were selected by voting from all 61 NCAA Division I college hockey coaches and via online fan balloting.
Here's a closer look at the 10 candidates (listed in alphabetical order):
Matty Beniers, Michigan
Beniers is tied for fourth in NCAA Division I with 10 power-play goals. He is the third scoring champion for Michigan in Big Ten history, joining Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor (2016) and Edmonton Oilers forward Cooper Marody (2018). The sophomore scored two points (one goal, one assist) in four games for the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. He has scored four game-winning goals, has won 49.3 percent of his face-offs and has 26 blocked shots as an alternate captain.
Bobby Brink, Denver
Brink (5-8, 161) leads the nation in assists (41) and points (55) in 36 games with Denver. The 20-year-old junior forward, selected by the Flyers in the second round (No. 34) of the 2019 NHL Draft, is a finalist for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Forward of the Year and Player of the Year. Brink has scored 46 points (11 goals, 35 assists) in his past 28 games and ranks first in the country with a 1.53 points-per game average. He scored 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) during conference play, the most in the NCHC.
Brian Halonen, Michigan Tech
The senior forward was named to the All-Central Collegiate Hockey Association First Team on Tuesday after leading the league in points (36) and goals (16) during conference games. Halonen is tied for sixth in the nation with 44 points and tied for fifth with 21 goals. The 23-year-old (6-0, 215) had an 11-game point streak (18 points; eight goals, 10 assists) from Dec. 30-Feb. 12.
Luke Hughes, Michigan
The 18-year-old defenseman (6-2, 184) is the first freshman to be named a top-10 finalist since goalie Matt Galadja of Cornell in 2018. Hughes, the youngest brother of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, is the nation's top-scoring defenseman with 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 37 games. Quinn was a finalist for the Hobey Baker as a sophomore in 2019. Selected by the Devils with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 draft, Hughes led Big Ten defensemen in goals (14) in conference play. His 17 overall goals passed Dean Turner's freshman defenseman record of 13 (1976-77) and his 36 points moved him ahead of Jack Johnson's 32 for most points by a freshman defenseman at Michigan.

Devon Levi, Northeastern
Levi (6-0, 185), who looks to become the first goalie to win the award since Ryan Miller of Michigan State in 2001, is first in the nation with a .954 save percentage, third with a 1.47 goals-against average and second with 10 shutouts in 30 games (21-8-1). The sophomore was the first from Northeastern to win Hockey East Rookie of the Year. The 20-year-old was selected by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round (No. 212) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, along with a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, for forward Sam Reinhart on July 24, 2021.
Dryden McKay, Minnesota State
The second goalie nominated for the award is 34-4-0 and ranks second in the nation with a 1.28 GAA, is tied for fourth with a .933 save percentage and is third with nine shutouts. McKay (6-0, 184), a top-10 Hobey Baker finalist for the third straight year, has allowed two goals or fewer in 32 of his 38 games this season. Undrafted, the 24-year-old senior holds the NCAA Division I men's hockey record for career shutouts with 33.
Ben Meyers, Minnesota
The 23-year-old junior forward (5-11, 200) co-captained Minnesota to a regular season Big Ten championship, after scoring 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 30 games. He also has a 58.4 face-off winning percentage this season and should be in demand by NHL teams when his season ends. He scored four points (two goals, two assists) in four games for the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac
The third goalie nominated set Eastern College Athletic Conference records for GAA (0.89), save percentage (.952) and shutouts (11). He leads the nation in goals-against average and shutouts and is second to Levi in save percentage. The 22-year-old sophomore (6-1, 180) was named ECAC Goalie of the Year, Player of the Year and First Team all-conference. He allowed two goals or fewer in 24 of his 26 starts (20-4-2).
Nathan Smith, Minnesota State
The junior forward (6-1, 190) is tied for second in the country with senior teammate Julian Napravnik with 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) in 33 games. A First Team all-CCHA selection, Smith scored two points (one goal, one assist) for the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. A native of Tampa, Florida, the 23-year-old was selected in the third round (No. 81) by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2018 NHL Draft. Smith won 57.7 percent of his face-offs this season.
Bobby Trivigno, Massachusetts
The senior forward (5-8, 162) leads Hockey East and is fifth in the nation with 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 34 games. The 23-year-old was named the league's Player of the Year and First Team all-conference, and had 13 multipoint games this season. Trivigno is the fourth player in Massachusetts history to be named a finalist, joining John Leonard (2020), Hobey Baker winner Cale Makar (2019) and University of Massachusetts Hall of Famer Thomas Poeck (2004).