page_title: Western Collegiate Hockey Association men's individual awards
section_title: Hobey Baker Award
hierarchical_section_title: Western Collegiate Hockey Association men's individual awards / Hobey Baker Award
caption_attribution_description: English: Matt Carle, ice hockey player of the San Jose Sharks
context_page_description: The Western Collegiate Hockey Association gives awards at the conclusion of each season. The current awards include Player of the Year, Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year, as well as the league leaders in points scoring and goaltending. In addition, several WCHA players have won the Hobey Baker Award for the nation's best college hockey player.
  Past winners have included numerous National Hockey League players, players in European professional leagues, NHL All-Stars, Olympic gold medalists, Stanley Cup champions, and Hockey Hall of Famers. Minnesota and North Dakota are the most successful teams, with 55 award winners and statistical leaders each. All current and former members of the conference are represented, with the exception of Bowling Green.
  No player has been selected for the same award more than twice. Murray McLachlan of Minnesota was named Rookie of the Year and twice named Player of the Year, the only player to be selected for three awards. Minnesota's John Mayasich and Michigan Tech's Tony Esposito are the only players to lead the conference statistically in three seasons.
context_section_description: The Hobey Baker Award has been awarded annually since 1981 to the most outstanding player in NCAA ice hockey.  In that time, 16 players have won the award while playing for WCHA schools.
caption: Matt Carle, 2006 Hobey Baker winner
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