Ten Hobey Finalists Announced

Knowing the off-ice behaviours of a couple of these 10 candidates "must exhibit strength of character both on an off the ice.....and sportsmanship. Something is just wrong here.
Mar 20 2008, 7:56 pm by JN Ab

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so.
Mar 20 2008, 8:41 pm by TUMHBG, Concord, NH

Oshie should win this by a long shot, he is the best player in hockey hands down. Like him or dislike him you have to admit that nobody plays the game harder.
Mar 21 2008, 8:31 am by

is OSHIE dont win you would have to say its fixed he is head and shoulders above everyone on this list
Mar 21 2008, 10:30 am by SARGE, MN

As a WCHA fan I would have to say the award goes to Kevin Porter, with Jeff Lerg a close second.
Mar 22 2008, 3:42 am by jim, woodbury

As a Minnesota hockey fan, my gut instinct is to hope for TJ Oshie to win because he is from Minnesota (not North Dakota). However, character does matter with the Hobey winner. TJ's arrest should disqualify him from winning (even though it was a minor offense and chippy arrest). Name another Hobey winner that has been arrested and name one of the other 9 current candidates that have been arrested.
Mar 22 2008, 5:23 am by jbuss, seattle

T.J. Oshie is a good player, but a lot of people give to much credit to him "working hard". Pee Wee Reese said it best about hard work, he said "I have a jackass back home and I could work him from sun up until sun down and he still isn't going to win the Kentucky Derby!" This isn't Oshie's year to win the Hobey. In fact, it's a joke he's in the top ten.
Mar 22 2008, 11:50 am by Peter, Minneapolis

The hattrick will be Gerbe, Lamareaux, and Porter. Porter will win because the press has already dubbed him the winner. Any of the three would be great winners, as long as the press doesn't sway the vote as they did when Miller won. Readers will remember that that year, Jeff Panzer (UND) and Brian Gionta (BC) were with Miller in the hattrick; while their numbers were fairly comprable, Panzer had improved considerably from the previous year. Gionta was, still, a great player in a tough league. Miller, meanwhile, had the country's best defense in front of him in a league that was so soft on offense that *I* could have had a great save percentage that year. Despite this fact, the press was so gung-ho on Miller that -- I believe -- they influenced the vote in Miller's favor. Had Gionta won, I might have disagreed, but not groused. Miller's win left a sour taste in my mouth and left me with a distrust of the Hobey process.
Mar 23 2008, 1:52 am by Chris Haake, Grand Forks ND

Chris from G.F. you are so right. Panzer should have won that year. I for one feel that a goaltender should not be up for this award. I don't know how they can give them consideration for skills in all phases of the game. I don't want to take anything away from them but the criteria is set up that way. Being that they allready have awarded it to a goalie though I don't know how they cannot give it to JPL. Look at his stats people. He leads in almost every category of the stats, played almost every game, and according to the pairwise ranking did it with the toughest schedule in the country. Not to mention he bleeds class. I also believe that Oshie doesn>t have a chance because of his off ice incidents, but hands down he is the best all around hockey player in college hockey today and in my belief he was last year also. Hey Peter, I.ll take our jackass any day over your thoroughbred any day. By the way where is Okposo now.
Mar 23 2008, 4:39 am by Anvil, Manvel N.D.

kevin regan shows great character on and off the ice. he should be a role model to every player taking the route of college hockey; a route that is dedicated to hockey but also and equally to academics. Kevin has been a hockey east all academic team member for 3 years now and this spring he will complete an excellent college career in the class room by graduating with a double major. this is hard for a normal student, low and behold a D1 athlete and starting goaltender in argueably one of, if not the top, conference. In that conference kevin was awarded the player of the year, ahead of BCs nathan gerbe another hobey baker finalist. you will find his stats atop of most major goaltending categories in the nation, hockey east, and UNHs all time goaltending records. Kevin Regan is a true candidate for this award, yet all of his hard work, talent, and good deeds have been over looked. Its time for a player to win this award who can be a role model to future players and also be a top player.
Mar 24 2008, 12:29 am by york, maine

It's inyteresting to see Anvil say that "I for one feel that a goaltender should not be up for this award." In his next line he says "I don't know how they cannot give it to JPL." Can't have it both ways.
Mar 24 2008, 4:31 am by Jim in Phoenix

Oshie should not win. He may play hard but is off ice stints with the law should not even put him in the top ten. Porter, Gerbe, Lasch, Lerg, and I will say that JP Lam are better that him and never got arrested. So for all you guys that are saying that Oshie deserves the Hobey you need to wake up and look who else there is. Porter, Gerbe, and Lasch were the top three scorers in the nation. So in my book that is you top three, But I do think that JP Lam Should be in the top three also.
Mar 24 2008, 6:14 am by

peter, in mpls are you crazy Oshie a joke!!!! your outta your frickin mind you moron hes the best player in college hockey
Mar 24 2008, 10:22 am by SARGE, MN

how come everyone forgets about jeff lerg? helloooo are you kidding? he's a GREAT goalie and not to mention how much he does for the community. why shouldnt he win i mean seriously, how unfair for him, he seems like he deserves to winmore than anyone because he's actually had to work to get where he's at and not to mention how hard he's had to work to get the respect he deserved too.
Mar 24 2008, 11:42 am by candace, madison heights

candace are you saying all the other players dont work hard?
Mar 24 2008, 3:31 pm by SARGE, MN

T.J. Oshie is far and away the best player in college hockey, although he won't win the hobey. Michigan has been ranked #1 for 11 weeks and heads into the tournament with the #1 overall seed. Kevin Porter will win the Hobey, but that doesn't mean he is the absolute best player in college hockey, example Duncan on N.D. last year? Come on, look at it now without Towes, Duncan was the ultimate benificiary on that line last year. Oshie and Towes did the work then Duncan stood by the net and taped em home, not to say Duncan isn't a good hockey player but just not Towes and Oshie.
Mar 24 2008, 3:59 pm by Saint Cloud

I don't care what Oshie has done on the ice; his off-ice issues should disqualify him from consideration. The award should go to those who present themselves with a little more class.
Mar 24 2008, 5:17 pm by Ryan, Shakopee, MN

Oshie is a criminal and barely a point a game player.
Mar 24 2008, 5:18 pm by Sal, Warroad

where are Rau and Bachman on the list? I guess wcha player of the year (Bachman) and leading goal scorer (Rau) didn't mean much to the committee. JPL was second team all league correct?
Mar 24 2008, 7:02 pm by eric

first of all osh is the hands down best player in the NC2A. There is no argument there. the "arrest in the elevator" is still an active case and in America, the freest country in the world, that means he is guilty of nothing and also that you can't assume anything about him being a criminal until the case is decided. with that said, he has no chance of winning it because kevin porter and big bad ryan lasch have more points, first of all porter hasnt played in the wcha and that should dq him and second lasch is not the best person or player so he shouldnt win
Mar 24 2008, 7:11 pm by dan, grand forks

So who should win? I think that the three front runners are Porter, Lasch, and Lerg from Michigan State. Lasch is one of the best players in the nation and he should be in the top three. Also, Oshie does not give his time to local charities, it is called community service and if he is in the top three then the voting is fixed. Kind of like last year when Duncan won it. Brown, the goalie from Notre Dame should have won it hands down. I am not saying that Duncan is a bad player, he is a good player. But when yo have a year like Brown, a senior he should have won. So I hope that this year JP Lam gets screwed and a sophmore, Lasch Wins it. Kind of like last year.
Mar 25 2008, 7:44 am by

sal, oshie is a criminal for peeing in a stuck elevator. shame on you for saying that about someone from your own town if in fact you are from there
Mar 25 2008, 1:46 pm by SARGE, MN

I think Oshie confused hockey with basketball, which is the sport where criminals hang out.
Mar 25 2008, 3:25 pm by Ryan, Shakopee, MN

if you had multiple beers (which ill point out is very legal at osh's age of 21) and then get stuck in an elevator for over an hour, youre not going to be able to hold it. The case will get thrown out
Mar 25 2008, 5:27 pm by dan st cloud

OK, let's put this TJ Oshie thing to rest. I will agree that he may have some talent but that would be about the only thing that qualifies him for this honor. Isn't that what the Hobey Baker award is, an honor? I have heard that he "helps his community." That, by the way is called Community Service. If anything, Oshie should be an embarrassment to those who's team he plays on and for. Those of you that think he "should win this by a long shot "are truly misguided. You need to consider not only what these players do on the ice but off the ice as well. They need to show that they are good students, good team players and good people. Just because they can entertain us for 60 minutes while they are on the ice does not mean they are the best candidate for such an "honor." Take a look at ALL of the candidates and I think you will find a few other (BETTER) young men who truly define what a Hobey Baker award winner should stand for. TJ Oshie is definately NOT IT!
Mar 25 2008, 7:07 pm by Bridget, Sauk Rapids

gerbe all the way.enough said
Mar 25 2008, 8:23 pm by gerbeville,usa

bridget, your wrong do you know tj? do you know what he does for the grandforks area? do you know what his grades are? did you know he volunteers his time at hockey camps did you know he fund raises for under privilidage children in northern mn until you have this information or at least checked into it. you should not bash someone that you know nothing about
Mar 26 2008, 12:37 pm by SARGE, MN

How does he have time to do all that when he is in jail? Now your telling me that he is best player out of those ten people? Give me a break. If he was then he should lead the nation in scoring, which he does not. Did he win player of the year? No. Maybe I don't know him, but he does not derserve to be up for this honor.
Mar 26 2008, 5:19 pm by Bridget, Sauk Rapids

I would have to agree with Bridget on this one. She made soo many good points in her comment that I would like to thank her for posting it on here. He is a good player, but if youe going to tell me that he is best out of the ten finalists? No way. Lasch, the leading scorer in the WCHA, Porter the leading scorer in the CCHA, Lerg one of the best goalies in the nation. OF course JP Lam, Oshies teammate, is right up there with Lerg. Where does he fit in, maybe 8th or 9th out of the ten finalists. If you guys are going to bad mouth me for saying all this stuff, then fine whatever you do to make you feel better. There are alot of other players that deserve this more than him
Mar 26 2008, 5:28 pm by Michael-Sartell

If Oshie played in the CCHA he would have as many points as Joens or Porter. As far as Lasch he is a one dimensional player the guy has no idea where the defensive zone is and he is NOT physical at all.
Mar 26 2008, 9:43 pm by Melvin, GF ND

Oshie has been suspended for on and off-ice issues. Why he's getting this attention for this award is a travesty! Like people said, he's a long shot anyway. Porter is probably the favorite.
Mar 26 2008, 10:07 pm by Ryan, Shakopee, MN

Maybe your right about Lasch, but you know what? That is not why he is out there. He is out there to score and help his teammates score. If you going to say that he is not and great player, or that Oshie is the better player, then anwser me this: Why didn't Oshie lead the WCHA in scoring? Don't tell me that he had other good players on the team, cause Lasch had Nodl, Roe Swanson, need I go on? Lasch can play the game. I have seen many of SCSU's games, and I have seen him give up his body for his team by blocking shots. Also I have seen him be physical when he needs to be. Also I see all you und fans are saying that Oshie should win, what JP Lam? Why aren't you guys backing him? I think that if it wasn't for him you guys would not even be in the NCAA tournement, or would have made it to Final Five. He should win it even before Oshie.
Mar 27 2008, 5:25 am by Michael-Sartell MN

Ohsie is by far the best college hockey player in the country. Quit the bashing and say something good about the player you would like to see win the award.
Mar 27 2008, 6:01 am by hockey fan nd

Ok, So Oshie is the best player in college hockey... HOWEVER, he's not going to win the Hobey. I guess it's just like last year when the best player in the country (T.J. Hensick) was beat out by that slug from NoDak.
Mar 27 2008, 11:08 am by

Michael to be a good hockey player that gets a look at the next level you have to play on both ends of the ice. Lasch doesn't have a clue where the defensive zone is. If he wants to play at the next level he is going to have to learn how to check and go into the corners. Also, SCSU as a team is very soft, if they are going to make any noise against Clarkson they are going to have to play physical
Mar 27 2008, 3:25 pm by Melvin, GF ND

Sauk rapids, sartell sounds like angry Husky fans to me
Mar 27 2008, 4:46 pm by SARGE, MN

to: by. Did you mean Jonathan Toews. Calling Duncan a "slug" goes to show what a great hockey mind you must have. Its pretty easy to say Oshie will not win the Hobey. You have a 90 % chance of being correct. Thats all most like saying I will not win the lotery this month.
Mar 27 2008, 8:18 pm by hockey fan nd

Sarge? I have noticed that none of you sioux fans are backing JP Lam. Why? You guys are nothing but a joke. You guys should backing the best player for the hobey and it is not oshie. It is JP. Also, angry husky fans? Give me a break. They have nothing to be angry about. They made the Final Five, we made the NCAA's. So what do they have to be angry for. Also Oshie will not win it. He is the worst player in the final ten. Go ahead and say that he is not, that is your opinion and this is mine.
Mar 28 2008, 7:32 am by

I never said i was a sioux fan; I said I was an OSHIE fan I bleed maroon and gold. Worst player in the final ten what ever your smoking you better stop cause its causing brain damage!!!!!!!!!
Mar 28 2008, 10:01 am by SARGE, MN

Kevin Regan
Mar 28 2008, 2:29 pm by