A pair of Coquitlam Express alumni have made the first round of consideration for the Hobey Baker Award as the top male college hockey player in the NCAA.
Corey Mackin, a senior forward for the Ferris State Bulldogs, and Brett Supinski, of Union College, are among more than 80 players to make the first round of fan voting for the award.
Mackin led the BC Hockey League in scoring when he was with the Express in 2014-’15, amassing 50 goals and 54 assists. He was the league’s player of the year as well as a finalist for most sportsmanlike player. He was also named to the first all-star team.
Mackin has seven goals and nine assists in 24 games for Ferris State so far this season.
Supinski finished second in scoring to Mackin in that 2014-’15 season. HIs 98 points, that included 48 goals, earned him recognition as the BCHL’s rookie of the year and a place on the league’s all-rookie team.
Supinski has scored six times and added nine assists for the Dutchmen this season.
The results of the fan vote that ends March 10, are then combined with votes from coaches at the NCAA’s 60 Div. 1 hockey programs to determine the 10 finalists. The winner is determined by a 27-member selection committee, along with a second vote from fans that begins in mid-March.
The winner of the award must display “outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.”
Recent winners include Adam Gaudette, a prospect for the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL, Jack Eichel, who’s now a star for the Winnipeg Jets, and Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames.
• To see the full roster of players in the first round of voting, and to cast a ballot, go to https://www.hobeybaker.com/vote.
