Who won the Hobey Baker Award 2023? Michigan's Adam Fantilli given honor as NCAA hockey's top player

Michigan forward Adam Fantilli continues to collect hardware in his first year in the NCAA, as the freshman was named the recipient of the 2023 Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in NCAA Division I men's hockey. 

Fantilli dominated in his first year at the collegiate level. A potential No. 2 selection in the upcoming NHL Draft, the Wolverine forward has the most points among all NCAA DI players with 65 in 36 games. With a goal in Michigan's national semifinal loss to Quinnipiac, Fantilli tied Western Michigan's Jason Polin for the most goals this season with 30. 

The 18-year-old Toronto native was also named the Tim Taylor Rookie of the Year, given to the NCAA's top first-year player. Last month, he was awarded the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, placed on the All-Big Ten First Team and was a unanimous selection for the All-Freshman Team.

The 2023 Hobey Baker Award winner is Adam Fantilli!#GoBlue〽️ pic.twitter.com/ebcRVuQK3M

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) April 7, 2023

He was considered a snub for the Big Ten Player of the Year honor, which went to Minnesota's Matthew Knies. 

Fantilli is the first Wolverine to win the Hobey Baker since Kevin Porter earned the recognition in 2007, and only the third Michigan player ever to receive the honor, joining Porter and Brendan Morrison (1997).

He is also only the third freshman ever to win the Hobey. Jack Eichel (Boston University) and Paul Kariya (Maine) are the other two. 

Knies and his Minnesota teammate Logan Cooley were the other two finalists for the award.

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Here are all of the previous winners of the Hobey Baker Award. 

Past Hobey Baker winners

The Hobey Baker Award was introduced to the NCAA in 1981. It was named after Hall of Fame inductee Hobey Baker, who played at Princeton before serving in World War I, where he died in a plane crash.

There have been 41 recipients of the award, with no player ever repeating. The most recent winner was Dryden McKay of Minnesota State. He was the first goaltender to earn the honor since Ryan Miller did with Michigan State in 2001, and only the third goalie ever to receive the Hobey Baker.

Here is every recipient of the Hobey Baker Award:

What schools have the most Hobey Baker winners?

Minnesota-Duluth has the most Hobey Baker winners with six. The most recent Bulldog to win the award was defenseman Scott Perunovich in 2020, who is now with the Blues. 

Harvard and Minnesota are tied for second with four each. Jimmy Vesey is the last member of the Crimson to win, earning the honor in 2016. Jordan Leopold was the most recent Golden Gopher to take home the honors, doing so in 2002. 

Here is a breakdown of Hobey Baker Award winners by school: