A trio of Pioneer hockey players, including senior captain and defenseman Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin), junior goalie Tanner Jaillet (Red Deer, Alberta) and freshman forward Liam Finlay (Kelowna, British Columbia), received distinguished honors for their 2017 performances.
Butcher was placed on the Hobey Baker Award fan vote list on Jan. 30. During the first stage of the finalist selection process, fans can vote once per day via Facebook.com to support Butcher’s bid for college hockey’s most prestigious award. The Hobey Baker Award is given annually to the college hockey player who demonstrates both the highest strength of character and hockey acumen. The award winner will be announced April 7.
Joining 65 other players across the country vying for the award, the Pioneers’ defenseman has recorded 24 points in 28 games in his senior season. His 19 assists places him tied for fifth in the nation amongst all defensemen.
Only one Pioneer has won the award before, when defenseman Matt Carle brought home the award in 2006 as a junior. Serving as Denver’s captain, his 53 points in 39 games led all defensemen in the nation.
Butcher was also named NCHC Defenseman of the Week for Jan. 23-29, when DU swept University of Nebraska-Omaha. It marked his fifth such award this season, as well as his tenth all-time. He tallied one goal, two assists and a plus-three rating over the weekend.
Jaillet has put together a superb season in net and was named the NCHC Player of the Month for January. He finished the month with a 5-1 record, as well as a 1.44 goals against average and .950 save percentage.
Having started 25 games for the Pioneers this season, his 1.89 goals against average ranks him seventh in the nation. As a team, Denver ranks second overall in goals against per game at 2.00.
The undrafted junior’s record stands at 16-4-4, as his calm demeanor in net has helped his team feel comfortable on the ice. While not the most flashy or athletic goaltender, Jaillet’s composure and poise are second to none.
Denver received significant contributions from freshman Finlay against the University of Nebraska-Omaha, as the winger tacked on a goal and three assists over the two-game weekend series.
Coming off a prolific career in the British Columbia Hockey League (108 points in 96 games), Finlay initially had a difficult time adjusting to the more physical style of college games. Heading into the series against Omaha, he had only four points in 20 games of action. His progression and confidence building will be key to DU’s Frozen Four run, as their forward depth and scoring has been lacking at times.
The Pioneers’ next game will be played on Friday, Feb. 10 at Magness Arena against cross-town rival Colorado College at 7:30 p.m.
