The 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award will go to one of three men — Denver defenseman Eric Pohlkamp, Minnesota Duluth forward Max Plante or Michigan forward T.J. Hughes.
The finalists — known as the “Hobey Hat Trick” were announced Thursday.
Pohlkamp is looking to become the third Denver player to win the award, joining Matt Carle in 2006 and Will Butcher in 2017. He is the fourth Pioneer to be a Hobey Baker finalist since Butcher’s win in 2017, joining Henrik Borgstrom in 2018, Bobby Brink in 2022 and Zeev Buium in 2025. He leads defensemen nationally this season with 18 goals and 39 points in 41 games.
Plante was NCHC Player of the Year and is the 10th Hobey Baker finalist in program history, the first since Scott Perunovich won the award in 2020. His father, Derek Plante, was a finalist for the award in 1993.
Hughes was named B1G Player of the Year with 56 points in 39 games this season, averaging 1.44 points per game and amassing 178 career points. A four-year player, he has thrice helped lead the Wolverines to the Frozen Four, including this year.
The winner will be announced April 10 at the Presidio Ballroom at Park MGM Las Vegas, televised live on NHL Network.
Trey Augustine of Michigan State, James Hagens of Boston College, Gavin McKenna of Penn State, Hayden Stavroff of Dartmouth, Charlie Stramel of Michigan State, Felix Trudeau of Sacred Heart and Ethan Wyttenbach of Quinnipiac rounded out the top 10 semifinalists.