Senior defenseman and captain Vinny Borgesi, junior forward Dylan Hryckowian and junior goaltender Lawton Zacher were announced as nominees for the 2026 Hobey Baker Award Jan. 21.
The Hobey Baker Award is one of the most prestigious awards in college hockey; 88 players across the nation are nominated each year. After receiving a nomination, 10 players are named finalists and one is named the recipient.
According to the award’s website, it “was created to promote amateur hockey in the United States by recognizing individuals who embody the legacy of Hobey Baker.”
Baker was a dual athlete at Princeton University, playing hockey and football, who was killed while serving as a fighter pilot in World War I. Charles R. Bard, CEO of the Decathlon Athletic Club of Bloomington, Minnesota at the time, founded the award and chose to name it after Baker because he “was so enamored with Hobey [and his story] that [he] secured all of the information on him that [he] could,” according to the website.
Borgesi has played in 120 games over his career for the Huskies, tallying 15 goals, 61 assists and 165 blocks. Last season, he led the country with an average ice time of 28:04 minutes per game. He also earned Hockey East Defender of the Month in December 2024.
Hryckowian has played 91 games for Northeastern, netting 37 goals and logging 61 assists. Last season, he had four three-point games.
Zacher transferred to Northeastern this season from Brown University. As a Bear, the junior played 54 games, saving 1,412 shots and earning a .913 save percentage. Since transferring to Northeastern, Zacher has played in 19 games, collecting 432 saves for a .930 save percentage.
There has only been one Hobey Baker Award winner from Northeastern since it was founded in 1981: Adam Gaudette in 2018. Now with the San Jose Sharks, Gaudette wore the Husky uniform from 2015 to 2018. Brad Thiessen, a goaltender for the Huskies from 2007 to 2009, was tapped as a finalist in 2009.
The winner of the 2026 Hobey Baker Award will be announced April 10.
