Penn State men's hockey made history in 2024-25, and its first ever Hobey Baker Award nominee served as proof. Right winger Aiden Fink earned the first nomination for the prestigious award in program history. In 2025-26, three Nittany Lions earned initial nominations for the award: goaltender Josh Fleming, forward Gavin McKenna, and forward Matt DiMarsico.
Elite Penn State hockey talent surges to start second half of 2025-26 season
The Hobey Baker Award is given annually to the top collegiate men's ice hockey player. Head coach Guy Gadowsky's son, defenseman Mac Gadowsky, was a Top 10 Finalist for the award for the 2024-25 season for his performance with Army West Point before he transferred to Penn State.
The Top 10 for the 2025-26 season will be announced on March 18. On April 2, the top three finalists (also known as the Hobey Hat-Trick) will be revealed. The Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced at the Frozen Four in Las Vegas, Nev. on April 10.
Voting for the Hobey Baker Award starts Jan. 22 through March 8. Fans can vote for their Nittany Lions over text. More information on how to vote can be found here.
Goaltender Josh Fleming, forward Gavin McKenna, and forward Matt DiMarsico nominated for 2025-26 Hobey Baker Award
Fleming was also named to the Richter Award Watch List, which is awarded to the best collegiate hockey goaltender annually. He currently leads the nation in save percentage (0.943 percent) and is second in the Big Ten (fifth in the country) in average goals allowed per game (1.82). He became the sixth Nittany Lions all-time to register multiple shutouts in a single season.
McKenna is a young star who currently holds 24 points across 20 games in his true freshman season. He is second in the conference and fifth in the nation in freshmen scoring. With 18 assists, he leads the Big Ten among first-year players and is third in the country overall in that stat. He registered his first multi-goal game of the season against Notre Dame.
DiMarsico leads Penn State with 14 goals and 26 points. His goals are good for second in the conference and eighth across the country. He is the first Nittany Lion to record multiple games scoring a hat trick in one season, logging his third against Notre Dame.