Neal Broten of Roseau, Minnesota, was the first winner of the Hobey Baker Award. He scored 71 points in 41 games as a freshman with the Gophers in 1979, and scored 71 points in 36 games as a sophomore on 17 goals and 54 assists in his Hobey Baker campaign of 1980-81. He scored the game-winning goal in Minnesota’s 4-3 win over North Dakota in the 1979 NCAA Championship game. He spent the 1979-80 season with the U.S. Olympic Team, helping them to the 1980 gold medal. He was selected by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, and received the North Stars’ Bill Masterton Memorial Cup in 1984 and again in 1986. Broten spent 15 seasons with the Stars franchise (Minnesota and Dallas, 2 stints) before being traded to the New Jersey Devils in February, 1995, the year the Devils won their first Stanley Cup. His number was retired by the Dallas Stars after 17 years in the NHL. Broten currently resides in River Falls, Wisconsin.

 

Ulseth born and raised in Minnesota attended the University of Minnesota where he played four seasons (1977 – 1981) of NCAA Division I college hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Ulseth went on to play the 1981–82 season with the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League, and then played the 1982–83 season with the Tulsa Oilers and Peoria Prancers before retiring from professional hockey. Ulseth is now employed as a sales representative for Miken hockey sticks • Scored 84 goals and 118 assists for 202 points, while earning 48 penalty minutes, in 148 games played. • Named WCHA Most Valuable Player senior year for Minnesota Gophers

 

 

Bowdoin College- Senior - Goalie - Lewiston, Maine

Raised in Lewiston, Maine, and attending Lewiston High School and North Yarmouth Academy, Provencher was an accomplished and versatile athlete. His Lewiston hockey teams won three consecutive state titles and the 1975 New England Championship. The owner of the highest save percentage in school history, Provencher is the only Bowdoin goalie to be nominated for the Heisman of collegiate hockey— the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. In addition to hockey he played baseball and soccer and was also an all-state football selection. His first winter in Brunswick, he immediately made an impact on the Dayton Arena ice by playing 375 minutes between the pipes and posting a 3.84 goals-against-average in Bowdoin’s ECAC Championship-winning season of 1977-78. After a sophomore season that saw him increase his playing time and post a 46-save effort in a game against Boston College, Provencher assumed the role of starting Polar Bear net minder in the 1979-80 campaign. It was a role that fit well, as Provencher racked up a school-record 700 saves that season and a save percentage of .913, the third-best in Bowdoin history. He was tabbed as the ECAC Division II Eastern Player of the Year and grabbed first-team All-ECAC honors as Bowdoin went 19-5-2 during his junior season.

• Played in four leagues over the course of his career.
• Played with six minor league hockey clubs, including the AHL’s Maine Mariners.
• Named to the ACHL All-Star team while a member of the Mohawk Valley Stars.

 

Clarkson University - Junior - Defender – Ottawa, Ontario Canada

 

• Small named AHCA All-American East, 1981.
• ECAC All-Decade Team 1989.
• Named ECAC Player of the Year, 1981.

 

St. Thomas University - Senior - Forward – New Hope, MN

 

• Inducted into St. Thomas Athletic Hall of Fame, 1989
• Named among 17 seniors to play for the West team in the East-West College All-Star Game, 1981
• Played for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs from 1981 – 1983

 

SUNY Plattsburg State - Senior - Goalie – Lake Placid, New York

Rick Strack grew up in Lake Placid where he played varsity hockey as a goaltender for 4-years earning All Northern Athletic Conference All-Star all four years. After high school he attended Northwood Prep School for one year. In 1977 he entered the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. Rick signed as a free agent for three years with the New York Rangers. In 1984 he joined the hockey coaching staff at St. John's Academy. In 1993 he was inducted into the Plattsburgh State Sports Hall of Fame, selected to the Plattsburgh State All-Decade Team for 1975-84, and was the first Student-Athlete to have his jersey retired there. Rick was inducted into the New York State High School Hockey- Hall of Fame, March 2011, for his dedication to the sport as a truly great player who has contributed noteworthy service to New York State high school hockey.·

• 2-Time SUNYAC All-Star
• 3-Time NYHCA All-Star
• ECAC West All-Star First Team
• 1981 NCAA Tournament All-Star Team
• 1981 Male Student Athlete of the Year

 

Northeastern University – Sophomore - Forward – Regina, Saskatchewan Canada

Alexander “Sandy” Beadle was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. He went on to play college hockey as a Forward for Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Beadle scored 86 points in his two seasons at Northeastern and was named All-American his sophomore season.

• All-ECAC Hockey First Team
• AHCA East All-American

 

Northern Michigan University - Junior - Forward – Kelowna, British Columbia Cananda

Bozek was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 3rd round, 52nd overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft while playing for Northern Michigan University. Bozek was named a CCHA First-Team All-Star twice in his three years at Northern Michigan, leading the CCHA in scoring during the 1980–1981 season. In 1981, he was named a First-Team All-American - the first hockey All-American ever for Northern Michigan - after dominating college hockey with 90 points in just 44 games, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

• Played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League for four teams
• First All-American in program history in 1981
• Left NMU as team's third all-time leading scorer
• 1981 CCHA scoring leader
• 1981 NCAA All-Tournament Team member

 

Minnesota State University, Mankato- 1981 - Goalie – Edina, MN

Steve Carroll started his goalie carrier in Edina, MN with his five hockey-playing brothers in his garage and back yard long before becoming a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Carroll was instrumental in helping Edina-East High School defeat Roseau and hockey legend Neal Broten 2-0 in quarterfinal round of 1977 State High School Tournament played at St. Paul’s Civic Center. Carroll holds eight MSU goaltending records including most career games (115), most wins (82), most career saves (3,570). In 1980 In 2005, Carroll was the first goalie to be inducted into Edina High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

• Named tournament MVP as Mankato State University.
• Invited to training camp with NHL’s Minnesota North Stars.
• Inducted into Mankato State University's Hall of Fame.
• Named Mankato State University's Male Athlete of the Century.
• First goalie inducted into Edina High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

Merrimack College – Junior - Forward – Andover, Massachusetts

 

• Lawler named 1979 – 1980 Men’s College Division All-American for Merrimack College
• Lawler hold Merrimack College record in 4th for all-time goals and 4th highest record for all-time assists
• Signed with Mohawk Valley Stars following his career at Merrimack College