ECAC Hockey announced its 2023-24 awards on Thursday.
Quinnipiac’s Collin Graf has been named the player of the year.
Graf amassed 14 goals and 19 assists through 20 games played, accounting for a career high 1.65 points per game average. With a total of 33 points, Graf leads the nationally-ranked Bobcats in goals and total points scored. Of his 14 goals, the junior forward netted five on the power play and potted three game winners. Graf registered 79 shots on goal and concluded with a positive plus-minus of 19.
He claimed four forward of the week and one forward of the month honors. In addition to the league awards, Graf was listed as a 2024 Hobey Baker nominee.
Dartmouth coach Reid Cashman is the Tim Taylor Coach of the Year.
In his third full season at helm, Cashman led the Big Green to a 9-6-7 conference record, more than doubling the team’s win column from the previous year and securing the team a bye into the quarterfinal round of the playoff tournament.
He garnered his first league win of the season on Nov. 4 in a 5-4 victory against Princeton. The Big Green tied four nationally-ranked opponents, and picked up the two shootout wins against Quinnipiac and Cornell.
Cashman came to Dartmouth after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Washington Capitals.
A former defenseman, Cashman graduated from Quinnipiac in 2007, where he was an All-American, first team all-ECAC, and a Hobey Baker top-10 finalist.
Clarkson’s Trey Taylor has been named best defensive defenseman.
In his sophomore season, Taylor showcased his abilities as a two-way defender, tallying three goals and 11 assists to lead the Golden Knights defense in scoring, while posting a favorable plus-minus of 14. He also registered 60 shots on goal and blocked 36 shots.
Through 22 games played, Taylor recorded three multi-point nights with a career high of three assists in the Golden Knights’ 5-3 victory at Yale. He recorded a season high of six shots blocked in Clarkson’s 4-1 victory over St. Lawrence on Jan. 26.
Quinnipiac’s Jacob Quillan has earned the best defensive forward award.
Quillan is coming off a career-best season with the Bobcats, recording an impressive 10 goals and 20 assists through 22 games for a 1.36 points per game average. A force on the power play, Quillan tallied three goals on the man-advantage. The junior forward registered 64 shots on goal and maintained a favorable plus-minus of 18.
In addition, Quillan earned two back-to-back forward of the week honors and two back-to-back forward of the month honors during the season.
Dartmouth’s CJ Foley is the recipient for the rookie of the year award.
Foley racked up 18 points through 22 games, good for fourth in scoring for the Big Green and leads all defensemen. With a line of 5-13-18, Foley managed to tuck one power-play, one short-handed, and one game-winning goal. The first-year defender registered 57 shots on goal and finished with a positive plus-minus of three.
He earned his first defender of the week honors in November with a three point performance, recording two goals and one assist in Dartmouth’s 5-4 victory against Princeton.
Cornell’s Ian Shane has been named the Ken Dryden Goaltender of the Year.
Shane had a stellar junior year, posting a 12-4-4 record for the nationally-ranked Big Red. In 20 games, the netminder tallied two shutouts against Brown and Harvard. With 386 total saves in the regular season, Shane finished with a commendable 1.82 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
Over the course of the season, Shane claimed six goaltender of the week and four goaltender of the month honors, the most in a single season in the conference. In addition to league awards, Shane was selected as semifinalist for the 2024 Mike Richter Award and a 2024 Hobey Baker nominee.
Union’s Ben Tupker is the winner of the second annual Wayne Dean Sportsmanship Award.
The award, inaugurated in Nov. 2022, is named in honor of the late Wayne Dean, the former Yale deputy director of athletics who played a significant role in the growth and success of ECAC Hockey and NCAA collegiate ice hockey. Beginning last year, the award will annually honor an ECAC Hockey student-athlete (men’s or women’s) who demonstrates the highest level of integrity and sportsmanship; displays the utmost respect for student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials, as well as the game/sport; and encourages all individuals to demonstrate good sportsmanship and ethical conduct inside and outside of the competition setting.
“I am extremely honored and thankful to receive the ECAC Hockey Wayne Dean Sportsmanship Award,” said Tupker in a statement. “It has been a privilege to play alongside such a great group this season. They made it a ton of fun to come to the rink every day and compete. I am extremely excited for the future of the program and can’t wait to see what the group accomplishes next year.”
On the ice, Tupker was a two-year captain for the Garnet Chargers, and was a leader both on and off the ice. Tupker played the game the same way he goes through life: with honest, integrity, and a deep respect for others. This season, he registered a career-high 19 points (9-10-19) with two short-handed goals and a game-winning goal. As captain, he was not afraid to hold his teammates accountable, and worked to establish new pregame and postgame routines as part of changing the team culture.
“As a coach, I could not be prouder of Ben to receive this award,” said Union coach Josh Hauge. “His leadership has been instrumental in changing the culture both inside and outside of our locker room. Ben does things the right way and leads by example.”
Off the ice, Tupker embraced the mantra of the Union hockey family. He ensured that the team is present at other events on campus, cheering on and supporting other teams, and taking part in the larger campus community. He advocated on behalf of his teammates for a Mental Health Awareness Game, which quickly took off into a multi-department effort and turned into a week of initiatives. He was present at several planning meetings, pitching different ideas and ways that his teammates could be involved. He was asked to introduce Victoria Arlen, an ESPN host and Paralympian to the student body, and prepared diligently in order to make sure he did the best job possible. The team ended up raising over $600 for the local chapter of the American Society for Suicide Prevention.
In the classroom, he has one of the highest GPAs on the team and was a member of the 2022-23 ECAC Hockey all-academic team and a Dean’s List student. Under his leadership, the team put forth their highest in-season GPA this past fall term.
“I am very lucky to have played under such an incredible coaching staff who have done so much for me,” said Tupker. “I want to thank our amazing support staff including our strength and conditioning coach, Dan Gabelman, our equipment manager, Dave Baglio, and our head athletic trainer, Cheryl Rockwood. Union is a special place and I’ll forever be thankful to be a part of the Union hockey family.”
