SAINT PAUL, Minn. – After revealing finalists for its annual year-end awards last Thursday, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference announced its 2023-2024 individual award winners on Thursday night at the St. Paul Event Center during the annual NCHC Awards Celebration.
 
Six different teams were represented among the NCHC’s individual award winners, led by multiple award winners from Colorado College, Denver and North Dakota. Taking home top honors on the night were North Dakota sophomore forward Jackson Blake, who earned Player of the Year and Forward of the Year, while Colorado College head coach Kris Mayotte garnered Herb Brooks Coach of the Year. Two other players also picked up a pair of NCHC awards in Denver freshman defenseman Zeev Buium and CC sophomore forward Noah Laba.
 
Along with being Player of the Year and Forward of the Year this season, Blake (Eden Prairie, Minn.) was named a Hobey Baker Award Top-10 Finalist on Wednesday. Blake, last year’s NCHC Rookie of the Year, was also the lone unanimous First-Team All-NCHC forward selection in 2023-24. The Carolina Hurricanes draft pick ranks second nationally and first in the NCHC with 57 points in 38 total games this season. He has 21 goals to tie for 13th nationally, while his 36 assists are fourth in the NCAA. Blake set an NCHC record with 37 points in conference play (24 games), including an NCHC-best 26 assists, topping the previous mark by two points. His 57 total points are only three shy of the NCHC record for overall points in a season (Brock Boeser with 60 in 2015-16), while he already has 99 career points in his two-year college career (77 games).

Mayotte collected his first Herb Brooks Coach of the Year award in his third year as the Tigers bench boss. This season, the former Union College goaltender led Colorado College to its highest-ever finish in the NCHC, coming in a tie for third place, and in so doing earned CC’s first home playoff berth.  The Tigers finished the regular season with a record of 20-11-3 overall and 14-8-2 in the conference. Mayotte guided CC to a top-10 national ranking during the second half of the season, reaching 10th for the first time since 2012. The Tigers’ 21 wins overall this season are the program’s most since 23 in 2010-2011.

Western Michigan senior forward Luke Grainger (Montreal, Quebec) was selected the NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete Award winner. The WMU captain was also a Second-Team All-NCHC selection this season, tying for seventh in conference scoring with 24 points (9g/15) in 24 NCHC games. Grainger finished the regular season with 43 points, including 30 assists, both of which rank fourth in the NCHC this year. A finance major with a 3.71 grade-point average, Grainger joined the Century Club with 100 career points last weekend. He now has 102 points (38g/64a) in 139 games as a Bronco and is a four-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete.

Buium (San Diego Calif.) was unanimously chosen as the NCHC Rookie of the Year and was also selected the NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year. The projected NHL first round draft pick was also a unanimous First-Team All-NCHC and NCHC All-Rookie Team honoree this year. Buium led both NCHC freshmen and NCHC defensemen with 31 points in 24 conference games, a total that ranked second in the conference among all players.  It also was the second highest point total for a blueliner in NCHC history behind only former Minnesota Duluth star Scott Perunovich (32 in 2019-20).  His 25 assists in conference play were first among NCHC defensemen and second among all players. Overall this season, Buium is tied for first nationally among blueliners with 44 points (9g/35a) in 36 games. He also won a gold medal with the U.S. National Junior Team this winter at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Colorado College sophomore Kaidan Mbereko (Aspen, Colo.) was voted the unanimous Goaltender of the Year, after also being a unanimous First-Team All-NCHC selection his year. In conference play, Mbereko led the NCHC with both a 2.15 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in 24 starts. He also posted a record of 14-8-2 in NCHC action, with his 14 wins tying for first in the conference. Overall this season, the sophomore is also first in the conference with a .915 save percentage and a 2.40 GAA. In addition to his NCHC honor, Mbereko was tabbed a Mike Richter Award Top-3 Finalist on Thursday.

Mbereko’s teammate, Laba (Northville, Mich.), took home two awards, winning NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year and the NCHC Three Stars Award. The sophomore claimed the goal-scoring title with 16 tallies in conference play, while his three short-handed goals and six game-winning goals also both led all NCHC players. The New York Rangers draft pick tied for third in conference scoring with 28 points to earn First-Team All-NCHC honors.  Laba finished with a +19 mark in 24 NCHC games to lead all players. Overall this season, Laba leads the Tigers with 20 goals and 37 points in 36 games. He was named First Star of the Game seven times in conference play, tied for the most of any player, and earned 45 ‘Three Stars’ points to collect his Three Stars Award.
 
Denver junior defenseman Sean Behrens (Barrington, Ill.) was named the NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year, joining his teammate, Zeev Buium, in winning NCHC Defenseman honors. Behrens has been a stalwart on the Pioneers’ blue line and has anchored DU’s penalty kill all season. Offensively, the Colorado Avalanche draft pick scored three goals and posted 27 points while playing in all 36 regular season games. Defensively, Behrens carries a plus/minus rating of +19 while ranking third in the NCHC with 57 blocked shots. He garnered Honorable Mention All-NCHC accolades this season, as well.

Winning the NCHC Sportsmanship Award was Minnesota Duluth senior defenseman Darian Gotz (Hermantown, Minn.). Gotz has been an active volunteer in the greater Duluth community since arriving on campus.  He serves as a coach in the Duluth Wild Special Hockey program that gives opportunities to play the game for kids and adults who are developmentally delayed. He’s also highly active in Courage Center Shoot for Fun, which raises money for individuals to participate in adaptive sports and recreation. A member of UMD’s SAAC, Gotz has helped support numerous programs on campus, as well, and earned UMD’s Pat Francisco Community Service Award last season. Gotz is a four-time member of the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team and is currently working to complete his degree in marketing and professional sales.

The final award of the night went to Omaha Mavericks long-time radio broadcaster Terry Leahy, who received the 2024 NCHC Media Excellence Award. Leahy has been a constant presence with Omaha hockey since the program’s inception in 1997. He is the only radio color commentator in the history of the program and in November of this season, he called his 1,000th Maverick game.  During his 27-year tenure, Leahy has been an enthusiastic and well-informed voice on the Omaha airwaves, and remarkably, has missed only four games during his time covering the Mavericks.  Leahy was recognized by the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame with the Motto McLean Service to Hockey Award in 2017.
 
In addition to announcing its 12 individual award winners, the NCHC also recognized its First and Second All-Conference Teams and All-Rookie Team at the Awards Celebration, handing out the physical hardware to the honorees. The NCHC first announced its All-Conference Teams last Wednesday, March 13 and its All-Rookie Team last Tuesday, March 12, while the NCHC announced its all-academic teams in February.
 
For eight of the individual awards, voting was conducted by the conference’s eight head coaches and one media member covering each school. Athletic Directors at each NCHC institution had a vote on Herb Brooks Coach of the Year, as well, along with the coaches and media. The Senior Scholar-Athlete Award is voted upon by the conference’s eight Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs). The Sportsmanship Award is voted on by an awards committee consisting of NCHC Chairs and conference staff from submitted nominations by member schools. The Media Excellence Award is voted on by the conference’s Sports Information Directors (SIDs). The Three Stars Award is based on the highest point totals of ‘Stars of the Game’ points earned during conference games only (5 for first star, 3 for second star, 1 for third star).
 
2023-24 NCHC Individual Award Winners
Herb Brooks Coach of the Year – Kris Mayotte, Colorado College
Player of the Year – Jackson Blake, North Dakota
Senior Scholar-Athlete Award – Luke Grainger, Western Michigan
Rookie of the Year – Zeev Buium, Denver (unanimous)
Goaltender of the Year – Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College (unanimous)
Forward of the Year – Jackson Blake, North Dakota
Offensive Defenseman of the Year – Zeev Buium, Denver
Defensive Defenseman of the Year – Sean Behrens, Denver
Defensive Forward of the Year – Noah Laba, Colorado College
Sportsmanship Award – Darian Gotz, Minnesota Duluth
Three Stars Award – Noah Laba, Colorado College
Media Excellence Award – Terry Leahy, Omaha Mavericks Radio