The Top 5 Best Boston College Sports Moments of 2014
By Joe Micik
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
2014 Top 5 Best Boston College Sports Moments — #4
Johnny Gaudreau wins the Hobey Baker Award; April 11
Shortly after Boston College’s 2013-14 season came to a close, a great formality took place: Johnny Gaudreau won the Hobey Baker Award.
Gaudreau had one of the best individual seasons in Boston College history, totaling 80 points in 40 games. His points total and goals total (36) led college hockey. He was part of what may go down as the best Boston College forward line ever, with himself, Kevin Hayes, and Bill Arnold.
He was the first Eagle to win the Hobey since Mike Mottau did it in 2000, and the third Eagle overall (David Emma in 1991 was the first to bring the award to the Heights). To do it, he beat out Greg Carey of St. Lawrence and Nic Dowd of St. Cloud State.
Gaudreau’s win ended a bit of a streak of futility for the Eagles at the Hobey ceremony. Some (including the author of this piece) believe he should have won it in 2013, losing to Drew LeBlanc of St. Cloud State. Cam Atkinson got the second-place shaft in 2011 as Andy Miele won it, as did Nate Gerbe in 2008, Chris Collins in 2006, and Brian Gionta in 2001.
The only disappointment here is that Kevin Hayes was not also part of the “Hobey Hat Trick,” the three finalists for the award who are invited to the ceremony. Gaudreau and Hayes, both now in the NHL, were arguably the two best players in college hockey last season, but vote splitting likely took place as he finished in the lower half of the top ten.
We lied, there was another disappointment and another formality: Johnny Gaudreau went to the NHL immediately thereafter, literally leaving for Calgary after the ceremony was over. Two nights later, he scored his first NHL goal against the Vancouver Canucks. Imagine that: a BC guy scoring his first goal in BC (British Columbia, that is).