Minnetonka's Bobby Brink A Finalist For College Hockey's Biggest Award

BOSTON, MA —Minnetonka native Bobby Brink, a junior forward for the University of Denver hockey team, was named as one of the three finalists for the 2022 Hobey Baker Award on Thursday. The prize, in its 42nd year, is presented annually to college hockey's best player.

The Hobey Baker winner will be announced at 5 p.m. Central Friday on NHL Network.

The ceremony takes place at the 2022 NCAA Frozen Four in Boston, where Brink's Pioneers will be facing University of Michigan in Thursday's first semifinal at 4 p.m. Minnesota takes on Minnesota State in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m.

Denver (29-9-1) defeated Minnesota Duluth 2-1 on March 26 in the West Regional final to reach the Frozen Four.

The 5-foot-9, 166-pound Brink enters Thursday's semifinal as the NCAA's leading scorer with 56 points —14 goals and 42 assists. It's a far cry from the 2020-21 season when injury, illness and international duty limited Brink to just 15 of 24 games for a Denver team that went just 10-13-1.

"I feel like he's got a real purpose and drive to what he's doing," Denver head coach David Carle told the Denver Post. "Last year was a big disappointment for him. He had a really driven summer and wanted to show that last year was an anomaly for himself and for our team."

Bobby Brink, whose middle name is Orr after the Boston Bruins great, helped lead Minnetonka High School to the Class AA state championship during his sophomore year in 2018. He then left to play juniors for the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League.

Brink was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round (No. 34 pick) in the 2019 NHL Draft, and he is expected to sign with the team in the coming weeks, according to PhillyHockeyNow.com.

"I'm honored to join a classy, historic, organization," Brink told FlyersNittyGritty.com last year. "Flyers fans are so passionate, how can a person not be excited. (Draft day) was a day I will remember for the rest of my life. My friends and family were very happy."

Though Brink has been considered undersized at times by scouts, Luke Strand, who coached Brink with the Musketeers, said he has no worries about Brink being held back by his smallish stature.

"Does the heart have a height?” Strand asked the Denver Post rhetorically.

In fact, Strand said he expects Brink to come up big this weekend in Boston.

"It's kind of inspiring for a lot of kids who are told they're not tall enough, not fast enough," Strand said. "He's plenty good enough. I'd be shocked if he's not the best player on the biggest stage (the Frozen Four)."

The other two finalists for the Hobey Baker Award also have Minnesota connections: Dryden McKay is a senior goaltender for Minnesota State and Ben Meyers is a Delano native who is a junior forward at the University of Minnesota.