Bowling Green State University Athletics
Jordan Sigalet a Finalist for 2005 Hobey Baker Memorial Award
March 17, 2005 | Ice Hockey
March 17, 2005
Minneapolis, Minn. -
The Hobey Baker Foundation announced today that Bowling Green State University's Jordan Sigalet (Surrey, British Columbia) has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2005 Hobey Baker Memorial award, given annually to the top collegiate men's hockey player.
The finalists are selected by vote of the nation's 58 Division I head coaches, along with the Preliminary Voting results in Vote for Hobey, the award's on-line fan balloting. Criteria for the award, which is celebrating its 25th season of honoring college hockey's top player, include strength of character on and off the ice, along with scholastic achievements and sportsmanship.
The award's winner will be determined from among the finalists by the Hobey Baker Selection Committee, a group of coaches, scouts, media and a representative from USA Hockey. Fans also contribute to the final decision through Vote for Hobey's Final Voting phase, which will run through Monday, March 28.
The other 10 finalists include: Reid Cashman, Quinnipiac; Patrick Eaves, Boston College; Dov Grumet-Morris, Harvard; T.J. Hensick, Michigan; David McKee, Cornell; Colin Murphy, Michigan Tech; Marty Sertich, Colorado College; Brett Sterling, Colorado College; and Tuomas Tarkki, Northern Michigan.
 Sigalet is first Falcon Hobey Baker finalist since Brian Holzinger in 1995.  |
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Sigalet recently completed his student-athlete career at BGSU as a goaltender for the Falcon Hockey program by leading the Brown and Orange to its best season in a decade. The 6-foot, 172-pound Sigalet will go down as one of the best goalies ever to play at BGSU. He becomes just the sixth Falcon and the first goalie in the 36-year history of the program to be named a Hobey Baker Finalist.
Two former BGSU players have won the award, including George McPhee in 1982 and Brian Holzinger in 1995. The other Falcon finalists were Rob Blake (1990), Nelson Emerson (1988, 1989, 1990), and Brian Hills (1982, 1983).
"It is an honor to be named among the finalists for the best college hockey player in the country," said Sigalet. "I want to thank everyone, on and off the ice, that helped me during my four years at Bowling Green. To be mentioned with names like McPhee, Holzinger, Blake, Emerson, and Hills is unbelievable."
Sigalet became the first Falcon goalie to be named a captain this year and finished No. 1 in the preliminary fan voting for the Hobey Baker Award last week, receiving over 85,000 on-line votes. He ended this past season with a 16-12-3 record and led all CCHA goalies with an average of 30.1 saves per game. Only four goaltenders nationally recorded more saves than the 963 shots he turned aside. He held 16 opponents to two goals or less and gave up one or fewer goals on 11 occasions this season. He was named CCHA Goalie of the Week twice this year.
He was one of three finalists for the 2005 CCHA Player of the Year award and won the Perani Cup Championship for earning most "First Star" performances this season in conference play. He was also the recipient of the Terry Flanagan Memorial Award, given annually to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association player who has persevered through adversity. Sigalet was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in March of 2004 and made his disease public on December 11, 2004.
The 2001, seventh-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins ended his career with a school-record .915 save pct. through 102 games. He also finished second all-time at BGSU with a 2.98 goals-against-average and third all-time with 3,147 saves. Sigalet's 5,924:09 career minutes played are the fifth-most in BGSU history. He was named All-CCHA First Team in 2004 and All-CCHA Second Team in 2005.
This marks just the second time that four goaltenders have been among the 10 finalists for the award (1994 being the first).
The top three finalists will be announced as the Hobey Hat Trick on March 30. The 2005 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced April 8 in Columbus, Ohio, the day before the championship game at the NCAA Frozen Four. The ceremony will take place at Nationwide Arena beginning at 2:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. with the USCHO Town Hall, followed by the presentation of the Hockey Humanitarian Award.
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is celebrating its 25th season of honoring college hockey's top player.
