MacDill To Host College Hockey’s Top Award Ceremony

Posted Mar 30, 2012 by Howard Altman

Updated Mar 30, 2012 at 09:39 AM

If you are playing a free-association word game and the phrase “MacDill Air Force Base” comes up, the word “hockey” probably won’t be your first response.

But that may soon change.

The home of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, the 927th Air Refueling Wing, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and others, is playing host to the awarding of college hockey’s top award next week.

It’s all part of the festivities for the NCAA “Frozen Four” national college hockey championship. The semi-finals and the finals will be played here next week at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

From an NCAA press release:

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation on Thursday announced the three Hobey Hat Trick finalists for the 2012 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, honoring college hockey’s top player.  Alphabetically, they are: Spencer Abbott, senior forward from the University of Maine; Jack Connolly, senior forward from the University of Minnesota-Duluth; and Austin Smith, senior forward from Colgate University.

The three finalists were selected from the initial list of Top Ten candidates by the 23-member Selection Committee and an additional round of online fan balloting to determine this year’s Hobey Baker winner.  Criteria for the award includes: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, strength of character on and off the ice, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.

This year’s Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday, April 6, 2012 from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL during the NCAA Frozen Four.  The 32nd annual announcement will be aired live on the NHL Network at 6:00 p.m., ET, and at the Hobey website, www.hobeybakeraward.com.