Trio of Pioneering DU Hockey Stars Earn 2025 Hobey Baker Award Nominations!

DENVER – The University of Denver hockey team has three athletes nominated for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award, which is awarded each year to the premier player in college hockey. Senior forward Jack Devine, junior forward Aidan Thompson, and sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium are amongst 21 players from the NCHC and 91 nationwide who have received this year’s nomination.
 
The recipient of the 2025 Hobey Baker Award will be revealed on April 11 during the NCAA Frozen Four celebrations in St. Louis, Missouri.
 
Devine was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award last year and continues to be one of the nation’s leaders in scoring. He is currently at the top of all NCAA players in assists and is tied for fifth with 31 points. The Glencoe, Illinois, native has accumulated at least one point in 19 out of 22 games this season and achieved two career-high eight-game point streaks from Oct. 5-Nov. 2 (1g/15a) and Nov. 9-Dec. 13 (1g/10a). Devine earned the titles of both the NCHC and National Player of the Month for October after leading all players with 14 points (1g/13a) across six games.
 
Thompson is a first-time nominee for the Hobey Baker Award and is currently ranked 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 lead for the DU team in goals, and his six power-play goals are tied for seventh overall in the country. The Fort Collins, Colorado, native commenced the season with a personal-best 14-game point streak (10g/12a), marking the longest such stretch to kick off a season by a Pioneer in the last decade. Thompson was recognized as the NCHC Player of the Month for November after leading all league players in goals (6-tied) and points (11).
 
Buium is a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award for the second consecutive season after tallying 50 points as a freshman last year. The San Diego, California, native is slightly ahead of last year’s performance, averaging 1.2 points per game, and is at the forefront of all NCAA defensemen with 19 assists and 24 points (tied); his 19 assists rank fourth overall among all players in the country. Buium has recorded three or more points in a game thrice this season, one of which included scoring three goals on Nov. 15 at North Dakota, becoming just the 12th defenseman in DU’s history and the first since 2004 to achieve a hat trick. He also aided the United States team in clinching its second consecutive gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships on Jan. 5.
 
Denver stands as one of 14 teams in the NCAA alongside conference rivals Arizona State, Colorado College, St. Cloud State, and Western Michigan with three nominees.
 
The Hobey Baker Award is conferred upon the recipient who exemplifies the exceptional character attributes associated with the award’s namesake, Hobey Baker. A legendary American figure, Baker served as a World War I fighter pilot and was celebrated as America’s greatest amateur athlete of his era, excelling in both hockey and football at Princeton University. Award nominees must showcase strength of character both on and off the ice, contribute to their team’s integrity, and demonstrate remarkable skills across all aspects of the game. Academic accomplishments and sportsmanship are also to be taken into account.
 
The annual initial round of fan voting commences today, Jan. 22, factoring in a percentage of the overall ballot. Fans can submit their votes by visiting https://www.hobeybaker.com/vote.
 
The top 10 finalists will be revealed on March 19, while the three Hobey Hat Trick finalists will be announced on April 3, and the award will be presented on April 11 at the Frozen Four in a nationally-televised ceremony on NHL Network. A second round of fan voting is scheduled for March 19-30 following the announcement of the top-10 finalists.
 
Each institution is permitted to nominate a maximum of three players for the award, with a committee then voting to select the Hobey Baker Award finalists and recipient.
 
The Pioneers have had two former winners of the Hobey Baker Award: Matt Carle in 2006 and Will Butcher in 2017.
 

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