NAHL alum Sturos earns another honor
January 29, 2014
NAHL alumni continue to set the pace in the NCAA. Over a dozen NAHL alumni are currently up for the initial voting in the Hobey Baker Award, which is given annually to the best NCAA Division I hockey player. In addition, a former alumni earned honors in the WCHA this week.
Michigan Tech forward Reid Sturos, who provided the scoring heroics in the Huskies' big victory over league-leading Ferris State last Friday, was named the WCHA Men's Rookie of the Week for Jan. 28, 2014. It is the second time in four weeks Sturos has won the award (Jan. 7 was the other).??The 6-2, 185-pound freshman from Brighton, Mich., posted his first two collegiate goals in Michigan Tech's 3-2 triumph over the No. 6-ranked Bulldogs on Jan. 24 at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. The right winger scored his first goal of the night on a tip during a power-play at 12:00 of the second period to tie the contest at 2-2. He then posted the game-winner with a wrist shot 8:45 into the third period.??Sturos, who also had three shots on goal in last Saturday's 3-0 loss to FSU, finished the two-game weekend series with two goals, six shots on net, and a +1 plus/minus rating. He has produced six points in 18 games played this season, with two goals and four assists. All but one of his assists has come in the month of January.
Sturos played a season and half in the NAHL for the then Alexandria Blizzard during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. His 49 points led the team in scoring during the 2011-12 season and he recorded 57 points in 71 career NAHL regular season games.
Voting is now open for the Hobey Baker Award and over a dozen NAHL graduates are up for consideration. Criteria for the award include candidates emulating the exceptional character traits exhibited by the award’s namesake, Hobey Baker. Award candidates must demonstrate strength of character both on and off the ice, contribute to the integrity of his team and display outstanding skills in all phases of the game. Consideration is also given to scholastic achievement and sportsmanship.
Hobey Baker is considered the first American ice hockey star and played collegiately at Princeton. Baker won two national titles while playing for the Tigers before graduating in 1914. After graduation, Baker eventually enlisted in the United States Army Air Service where he served in World War I. He died as a 26-year-old in 1918 after crashing in a plane he was test-piloting hours before he was to return to America from his service in France.cBaker was one of the first nine inductees, and only American, in the inaugural Hockey Hall of Fame class in 1945. In addition, he was also one of the initial inductees into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.
The process for this year’s winner has already started with fan voting available at www.HobeyBaker.com until March 9. The fan vote counts as a part of the process which will lead to an announcement of the top-10 list of finalists on March 20. The list will be narrowed further with the naming of the Hobey Hat Trick -- the three finalists who will be present at the winner’s announcement -- on April 2. The winner will be announced on April 11 with the exact time and location of this year’s presentation still being finalized.
