NCHC Annual Awards

Below are the NCHC's all-time individual award winners listed by award, with recent season's winners listed at the top by year.

For eight of the year-end awards, winners are determined based on voting by the conference's head coaches from each team (with media also voting beginning in 2019-20). The Senior Scholar-Athlete and Postgraduate Scholarship winners are determined in a vote by the conference's Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs), while the NCHC Awards Committee selects the Sportsmanship Award. Athletic Directors at each NCHC institution have a vote on the Herb Brooks Coach of the Year, as well coaches and media. The Three Stars Award goes to the player who accumulates the most Three Stars of the Game points during conference play.

2024-2025 NCHC INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS

Herb Brooks Coach of the Year – Pat Ferschweiler, Western Michigan University
Player of the Year – Zeev Buium, University of Denver
Senior Scholar-Athlete Award – Matt Davis, University of Denver
Rookie of the Year – Sacha Boisvert, University of North Dakota
Goaltender of the Year – Simon Latkoczy, University of Nebraska Omaha
Forward of the Year – Alex Bump, Western Michigan University
Offensive Defenseman of the Year – Zeev Buium, University of Denver
Defensive Defenseman of the Year – Ty Murchison, Arizona State University
Defensive Forward of the Year – Tim Washe, Western Michigan University
Sportsmanship Award – Joe Molenaar, University of Minnesota Duluth
Three Stars Award – Artem Shlaine, Arizona State University
Media Excellence Award – Tim Hennessy, University of North Dakota radio

ALL-TIME WINNERS BY AWARD

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

2024-25: Zeev Buium, So., D, Denver
2023-24: Jackson Blake, So., F, North Dakota
2022-23: Jason Polin, Sr., F, Western Michigan
2021-22: Bobby Brink, Jr., F, Denver
2020-21: Shane Pinto, So., F, UND
2019-20: Scott Perunovich, Jr., D, UMD
2018-19: Jimmy Schuldt, Sr., D, SCSU
2017-18: Henrik Borgström, So., F, DU
2016-17: Will Butcher, Sr., D, DU
2015-16: Ethan Prow, Sr., D, SCSU
2014-15: Joey LaLeggia, Sr., D, DU
2013-14: Josh Archibald, Jr., F, Omaha

HERB BROOKS
COACH OF THE YEAR

2024-25: Pat Ferschweiler, Western Michigan
2023-24: Kris Mayotte, Colorado College
2022-23: Pat Ferschweiler, Western Michigan
2021-22: Brad Berry, North Dakota
2020-21: Brad Berry, UND
2019-20: Brad Berry, UND
2018-19: Brett Larson, SCSU
2017-18: Bob Motzko, SCSU
2016-17: Andy Murray, WMU
2015-16: Brad Berry, UND
2014-15: Dave Hakstol, UND
2013-14: Bob Motzko, SCSU

SENIOR
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD

2024-25: Matt Davis, G, Denver
2023-24: Luke Grainger, F, Western Michigan
2022-23: Ethan Frisch, D, North Dakota
2021-22: Drew Worrad, F, Western Michigan
2020-21: Kale Bennett, D, WMU
2019-20: Karch Bachman, F, Miami
2018-19: Mason Bergh, F, CC
2017-18: Joel Messner, D, Omaha
2016-17: Justin Parizek, F, Omaha
2015-16: Gabe Levin, F, DU
2014-15: Nick Mattson, D, UND
2013-14: Nic Dowd, F, SCSU

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

2024-25: Sacha Boisvert, F, North Dakota
2023-24: Zeev Buium, D, Denver
2022-23: Jackson Blake, F, North Dakota
2021-22: Carter Mazur, F, Denver
2020-21: Veeti Miettinen, F, SCSU
2019-20: Shane Pinto, F, UND
2018-19: Taylor Ward, F, Omaha
2017-18: Scott Perunovich, D, UMD
2016-17: Henrik Borgström, F, DU
2015-16: Brock Boeser, F, UND
2014-15: Danton Heinen, F, DU
2013-14: Jaccob Slavin, D, CC

FORWARD OF THE YEAR

2024-25: Alex Bump, So., Western Michigan
2023-24: Jackson Blake, So., North Dakota
2022-23: Jason Polin, Sr., Western Michigan
2021-22: Bobby Brink, Jr., Denver
2020-21: Shane Pinto, So., UND
2019-20: Jordan Kawaguchi, Jr., UND
2018-19: Patrick Newell, Sr., SCSU
2017-18: Henrik Borgström, So., DU
2016-17: Anthony Louis, Sr., Miami
2015-16: Danton Heinen, So., DU
2014-15: Trevor Moore, So., DU
2013-14: Josh Archibald, Jr., Omaha

GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR

2024-25: Simon Latkoczy, Jr., Omaha
2023-24: Kaidan Mbereko, So., Colorado College
2022-23: Magnus Chrona, Sr., Denver
2021-22: Ryan Fanti, Jr., Minnesota Duluth
2020-21: Adam Scheel, Jr., UND
2019-20: Hunter Shepard, Sr., UMD
2018-19: Hunter Shepard, Jr., UMD
2017-18: Tanner Jaillet, Sr., DU
2016-17: Tanner Jaillet, Jr., DU
2015-16: Charlie Lindgren, Jr., SCSU
2014-15: Zane McIntyre, Jr., UND
2013-14: Sam Brittain, Sr., DU

DEFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN
OF THE YEAR

2024-25: Ty Murchison, Sr., Arizona State
2023-24: Sean Behrens, Jr., Denver
2022-23: Justin Lee, Sr., Denver
2021-22: Ethan Frisch, Jr., North Dakota
2020-21: Jacob Bernard-Docker, Jr., UND
2019-20: Colton Poolman, Sr., UND
2018-19: Jimmy Schuldt, Sr., SCSU
2017-18: Will Borgen, Jr., SCSU
2016-17: Tucker Poolman, Jr., UND
2015-16: Ethan Prow, Sr., SCSU
2014-15: Joey LaLeggia, Sr., DU
2013-14: Joey LaLeggia, Jr., DU

**The Defensive Defenseman of the Year Award didn't begin until the 2016-17 season. Prior to that year, the award was simply given to the Defenseman of the Year.

OFFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN
OF THE YEAR

2024-25: Zeev Buium, So., Denver
2023-24: Zeev Buium, Fr., Denver
2022-23: Mike Benning, Jr., Denver
2021-22: Ronnie Attard, Jr., WMU
2020-21: Ronnie Attard, So., WMU
2019-20: Scott Perunovich, Jr., UMD
2018-19: Scott Perunovich, So., UMD
2017-18: Scott Perunovich, Fr., UMD
2016-17: Will Butcher, Sr., DU
2015-16: Ethan Prow, Sr., SCSU
2014-15: Joey LaLeggia, Sr., DU
2013-14: Joey LaLeggia, Jr., DU

DEFENSIVE FORWARD
OF THE YEAR

2024-25: Tim Washe, Gr., Western Michigan
2023-24: Noah Laba, So., Colorado College
2022-23: Jami Krannila, Sr., St. Cloud State
2021-22: Connor Ford, Gr., North Dakota
2020-21: Shane Pinto, So., UND
2019-20: Justin Richards, Jr., UMD
2018-19: Justin Richards, So., UMD
2017-18: Rhett Gardner, Jr., UND
2016-17: Dominic Toninato, Sr., UMD
2015-16: Sean Kuraly, Sr., Miami
2014-15: Mark MacMillan, Sr., UND
2013-14: Nic Dowd, Sr., SCSU

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

2024-25: Joe Molenaar, Gr., F, Minnesota Duluth
2023-24: Darian Gotz, Sr., D, Minnesota Duluth
2022-23: Spencer Meier, Gr., D, St. Cloud State
2021-22: Mark Senden, Sr., F, North Dakota
2020-21: Kevin Fitzgerald, Sr., F, SCSU
2019-20: Kobe Roth, Jr., F, UMD
2018-19: Patrick Newell, Sr., F, SCSU
2017-18: Karson Kuhlman, Sr., F, UMD
2016-17 (co-winners): Matt Hrynkiw, Sr., G, UND & Tyler Vesel, Jr., F, Omaha
2015-16: Cal Decowski, Sr., F, UMD
2014-15: Nick Oliver, Sr., F, SCSU
2013-14: Eamonn McDermott, Sr., D, CC

POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

2023-24: Kirby Proctor, D, Omaha
2022-23: Aidan Spellacy, F, St. Cloud State
2021-22: Jason Smallidge, D, Omaha
2020-21: Kale Bennett, D, WMU
2019-20: Erich Fear, D, Denver
2018-19: Ryan Galt, F, Omaha
2017-18: Joel Messner, D, Omaha
2016-17 (co-winners): Aaron Hadley, F, WMU & Kirk Thompson, G, Omaha
2015-16: Gabe Levin, F, DU

**The scholarship was first awarded in 2015-16.

THREE STARS AWARD

2024-25: Artem Shlaine, Gr., F, Arizona State
2023-24: Noah Laba, So., F, Colorado College
2022-23: Magnus Chrona, Sr., G, Denver
2021-22: Magnus Chrona, Jr., G, Denver
2020-21: Ludvig Persson, Fr., G, Miami
2019-20 (co-winners): Jordan Kawaguchi, Jr., F, UND & Scott Perunovich, Jr., D, UMD
2018-19: Hunter Shepard, Jr., G, UMD
2017-18: Nick Halloran, So., F, CC
2016-17: Ben Blacker, Fr., G, WMU
2015-16: Brock Boeser, Fr., F, UND