DU hockey’s Will Butcher wins the Hobey Baker Award

Butcher is a 2013 Avalanche draft pick.

Ashley Dean

Apr. 07, 2017, 4:57 p.m.

Will Butcher is up for the Hobey. (Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)

University of Denver hockey captain and defenseman Will Butcher won the Hobey Baker Award, given every year to the top NCAA hockey player.

The announcement was made Friday during a ceremony at Navy Pier in Chicago, where the NCAA hockey championship is being held.

Tweet from @DU_Hockey

Butcher was chosen from 10 nominees and three finalists by a 27-person committee from three finalists. The other finalists were Northeastern University’s Zach Aston-Reese and Union College’s Mike Vecchion.

As the Denver Post’s Mike Chambers pointed out, a defenseman hasn’t won the Hobey Baker Award since 2009, and Butcher has certainly earned it. As of March 30, his 36 points 36 points were second nationally by a defenseman.

Butcher is a 2013 Avalanche draft pick, so maybe Denver will keep him around.

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Will Butcher is up for the Hobey. (Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)