The field for the most prestigious individual award in men’s college hockey has been narrowed to three. The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Committee officially announced the 2026 Hobey Hat Trick finalists Thursday.
T.J. Hughes (Michigan), Max Plante (Minnesota Duluth), and Eric Pohlkamp (Denver) are the final three candidates remaining from the initial list of 10 finalists.
And your 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award Hat Trick Finalists are.... @drinkbodyarmor #hobeybaker pic.twitter.com/Mb9WmTte6Z
— Hobey Baker Award (@HobeyBakerAward) April 2, 2026
Hughes was The Big Ten Player of the Year and the Michigan captain leads all active NCAA skaters in career points. Hughes reached the 50-point mark (18G, 32A) for the first time in his career this season while leading the Wolverines to a third consecutive Frozen Four appearance. Hughes became the all-time Big Ten scoring leader in conference-only games (108 points) and finished the regular season averaging 1.39 points per game.
Plante enjoyed a massive breakout sophomore season. The Detroit Red Wings prospect finished the year fifth in the nation in scoring with 48 points and tied for fifth in goals with 23. Plante recorded 14 multi-point games this season, including a two-assist performance to knock off St. Cloud State in the NCHC playoffs.
Pohlkamp put together one of the greatest offensive seasons by a defenseman in NCHC history. He led all NCAA blueliners in goals (17), points (37), and shots on goal (166). The San Jose Sharks prospec set a new NCHC single-season record for goals by a defenseman and led his team in blocked shots (72).
The winner of the 2026 Hobey Baker Award will be announced on Friday, April 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM PT during a live broadcast on NHL Network. The ceremony will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center as part of the festivities surrounding the 2026 Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena.