Denver's Carle Wins Hobey Baker, Runners-Up Meet for Title
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April 7, 2006
MILWAUKEE, WIS. - Denver University was not invited to the 16-team NCAA Men's hockey tournament, which deprived junior defenseman Matt Carle of an opportunity to record a unique hat trick - three consecutive national championships. But Friday, Carle pulled off another coup, when he won the 2006 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in college hockey this season.
"It's almost like a storybook, what's happened in my college career," Carle said. "Two national championships, and now, with all the guys on my team helping me be up here, winning the Hobey."
Inevitably, someone asked Carle to compare winning the primary college hockey individual award with the national championships, which was like tossing a letter-high changeup to one of the game's great team players. "Anyone would trade in the Hobey Baker Award for the national championship, any day of the week."
As it turns out, Carle was one of three finalists, along with Wisconsin goaltender Brian Elliott, and Boston College forward Chris Collins. By chance, one of them - Carle - won the Hobey, while the other two will play at 7 p.m. Saturday for the NCAA Frozen Four title.
Meaning no disrespect, Elliott verified Carle's sentiments, and said he wouldn't trade the chance for playing for the title for the award.
Elliott, who has five shutouts in posting an 8-1 record down the stretch and through the playoffs, will face a Boston College team that stunned red-hot North Dakota in the 6-5 first semifinal. And North Dakota was the team that beat Wisconsin 4-3 in the WCHA playoff semifinals. Collins, who had averaged 10 goals a season as a freshman, sophomore and junior, got three goals against the Sioux and now has 34 for a splendid senior season.
"I was talking up here with Brian and Chris," said Carle, about the center-ice ceremony with the three finalists awaiting the naming of the winner at Bradley Center. "I think we all agreed we were glad this was all done, because the hype gets to you. I give both of them credit because they kept their focus and are playing for the national championship."
Carle, a junior defenseman, signed a pro contract with the San Jose Sharks when Denver was eliminated from NCAA contention, and he scored two goals in his first three games.
After playing an instrumental role in Denver's 2004 and 2005 NCAA title runs, Carle, a junior from Anchorage, led the WCHA in points for much of the season, and wound up with 9 goals, 42 assists, and 53 points. Carle was named WCHA player of the year, and defensive player of the year, as well as first-team all-WCHA. And to make his day complete Friday, Carle also was named to the West All-America team.
"He's richly deserving of the award," said George Gwozdecky, Carle's coach at Denver. "His contributions to our program are well-known, as are his ability to make plays. There are places where this award, and college hockey, are not that well known. Matt, being from Anchorage, makes this an awesome thing for the entire state of Alaska."
On the West All-America team, Carle was joined there by Elliott in goal, Andy Greene, a senior from Miami of Ohio on defense, and by junior forwards Scott Parse of Nebraska-Omaha and Ryan Potulny of Minnesota, and senior Brett Sterling of Colorado College. The West second team included St. Cloud State junior goalie Bobby Goepfert, defensemen Tom Gilbert, a senior at Wisconsin, and Nathan Oystrick, a senior at Northern Michigan, and forwards David Backes, a junior at Minnesota State-Mankato, Joe Pavelski, a sophomore at Wisconsin, and Paul Stastny, a sophomore at Denver.
The East All-America side lists goaltender Cory Schneider, a sophomore at Boston College, defensemen Peter Harrold, a senior at BC, and Don Spang, a senior at Boston University, and three senior forwards - Collins of BC, Greg Moore of Maine, and T.J. Trevelyan of St. Lawrence. The second East team included BU junior goalie John Curry, defensemen Reid Cashman, a junior at Quinnipiac, and senior Brian Yandle of New Hampshire, and forwards Brian Boyle of BC, a junior, and seniors Michel Leveille of Maine and Mike Ouellette of Dartmouth.
In addition, Eric Leroux, a senior goaltender at Princeton, was voted the NCAA hockey humanitarian award.
While Carle is on an airplane heading off for the resumption of his new pro career, and many of the other honorees take the ice for the NCAA final, the Boston College players all know that Bradley Center will be filled with red-clad fans, boosting the Badgers.
"We've had red-and-white fans screaming at us before," said BC star Brian Boyle, without spelling out that Boston College's biggest rival is Boston University, also red and white. "It's going to be electric. The building is going to be unbelievable to play in."
Wisconsin forward Adam Burish spoke for all the senior on both teams, when he said: "Probably a month ago, I started thinking about it. Boy, it's coming to an end. This is where I wanted to be my whole life, and it's coming to an end. I thought, boy, I can't imagine that last time, you know? It's going to be your last game, what's it going to feel like? I'm excited. I want to put that jersey on for the last time, and p;otentially take it off the last time, as a champion."
Badger coach Mike Eaves said: "We talke about it all the time, about enjoying the moment, being in the moment, and that's what we're trying to do right now, is enjoy this thing."
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