Westside Warriors product Justin Schultz of the University of Wisconsin Badgers has been named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the player voted best in the NCAA.
Schultz led all NCAA defencemen in scoring with 18 goals and 29 assists which also was tops on the Badgers. His point total placed him fifth in the NCAA.
The West Kelowna native never went over two games without collecting a point and was the top power-play point-getter in the nation. He had multiple points in 14 games and notched the sixth defenceman hat trick in Wisconsin history on Nov. 27 against Michigan State.
On March 10, he was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Defensive Player of the Year and was also a first-team all-star in the conference.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Schultz was selected in the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks. In two-plus seasons with the Warriors, he played 108 regular season games, scoring 25 goals and 66 assists while chalking up 57 penalty minutes.
The Hobey Baker finalists are chosen from an original list of 50 players. The announcement for the Hobey Baker Award winner will be made on April 8 during the NCAA Frozen Four Championships in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Vot now at www.hobeybakeraward.com
Past BCHL grads to win the Hobey Baker Award include Paul Kariya and Brendan Morrison.
