Bruins prospect Ryan Donato has been great all season, whether at Harvard or with the U.S. Olympic team, and now he has a shot at some hardware. The junior forward was named one of the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the top player in college hockey.
Donato, a Bruins second-round pick in 2014, has 26 goals and 15 assists in 28 games this season. He leads the country in goals per game and shots on goal per game and is fifth in points per game.
Over the weekend, Donato registered four goals and four assists in Harvard's three-game series win over Dartmouth in the ECAC quarterfinals, including a hat trick in a 4-2 victory in the decisive Game 3. The Crimson take on Clarkson in the semifinals Friday night in Lake Placid and need to win the ECAC tournament title in order to make the NCAA tournament. Donato Watch officially begins as soon as Harvard's season ends, as the Bruins could potentially bring him on for the end of the regular season and postseason.
Northeastern forwards Adam Gaudette (Canucks) and Dylan Sikura (Blackhawks) are also among the 10 Hobey Baker finalists. Gaudette leads the country with 30 goals, 59 points and 1.64 points per game and is generally considered the favorite to win the award. If he were to win, he would be the first Northeastern player to do so. Sikura is third in the country with 1.58 points per game on 20 goals and 32 assists.
The Huskies face Providence in the Hockey East semifinals Friday night at TD Garden and are looking to win the Hockey East tournament championship for the second time in the last three years. They will be heading to the NCAA tournament regardless of what happens this weekend.
The Big Bad Blog is presented by:
