In their proud history, the University of Denver men’s hockey team has had only one Hobey Baker Award winner. His name is Matt Carle. A defenseman, a former captain, Carle gave his endorsement for another defenseman and current captain Will Butcher.
.@mattcarle25 wants another Pio to join him in the @HobeyBakerAward Club – help him out & vote for @WillButcher4 at https://t.co/DhSUTSNB9D! pic.twitter.com/Z3iFSqQH6D
— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) March 24, 2017
Carle captured the award in 2006, when he had 11 goals and 53 points in 39 games. Having just retired this season, he went on to play in 730 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators.
As much as Butcher likely wants to win the Hobey Baker, there’s another accomplishment of Carle’s that he would probably rather achieve: becoming a national champion. Carle was part of the DU clubs that won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005.
The Denver will kick off their quest for a title on Saturday at 11a.m. MT, when they play Michigan Tech. The Pioneers are the No. 1 overall seed. Carle’s brother David Carle is an assistant coach for DU.
Click here to vote for the Hobey Baker Award. The public vote will narrow the field to three. The winner will be determined by a panel of 27 people representing print and electronic sports media, college hockey coaches and officials, and NHL scouts.