MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) – Gopher Hockey junior defenseman Mike Reilly has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2015 Hobey Baker Award after helping Minnesota to its second-straight Big Ten regular-season championship and the top seed at this weekend’s Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament at Joe Louis Arena.

The Chanhassen, Minn., native earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten honors for the second-straight season earlier this week and has been one of the most dominant players in the nation this year. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect leads all NCAA defensemen this season with 42 points while his 36 assists rank tied for second among all NCAA skaters. A First Team All-American last season, Reilly currently leads the Big Ten and is tied for ninth in the nation with a plus-23 rating.

“I want to thank the coaches and fans that voted this year and included me as a finalist among a great field of candidates, and I would also like to thank everyone who has supported me and the team throughout the season,” Reilly said. “This is a real honor, and I certainly appreciate it.”

With 42 points in 36 games this season, Reilly is the first Gophers defenseman to lead the team in scoring since Mike Crowley tallied 56 points in 1996-97, earning First Team All-America honors and finishing the season as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

Reilly, who was named a First Team All-American last season, is also an instrumental asset to Minnesota’s top-ranked power-play unit, which is converting at a .284 clip (38-for-134) this year. The defenseman leads all NCAA players with 19 assists on the power-play while his 21 power-play points this season rank tied for second in the nation.

 

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