About a half an hour before practice Wednesday, UND coach Dave Hakstol informed sophomore forward Ryan Duncan that he is among three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award.
"I was just as surprised as everyone else," Duncan said.
Or maybe Duncan was the only one who was surprised.
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association's player of the year added to his postseason accolades Wednesday, becoming UND's first member of the Hobey Hat Trick since Zach Parise in 2004.
Duncan joins Air Force forward Eric Ehn and Notre Dame goalie David Brown in the elite group, which will assemble April 6 in St. Louis to find out the winner.
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Duncan is bidding to become UND's first Hobey Baker Award winner since Tony Hrkac brought home the trophy in 1987.
"It's a tremendous accomplishment," Hakstol said. "For a guy who doesn't take a whole lot of credit, Ryan certainly deserves a lot of credit. Yes, he's playing with great players around him. But he's been our most consistent player throughout the season. He's been a leader all the way through the ups and downs. He's a guy who's showed up and played hard and produced."
Duncan was originally named one of 10 finalists two weeks ago during the WCHA Final Five. Of those finalists, he was the youngest and he's also the only one of the 10 to lead his team to the Frozen Four.
After the regionals were finished, the selection committee sent in their final votes. The winner is kept secret until the ceremony at the Frozen Four, but the top three were announced Wednesday.
"I was honored to be in the top 10 or even be mentioned in the same sentence as these guys," Duncan said. "I heard that I'm the only finalist to still be playing. I'm sure that had something to do with the selection process. So, I have to give most of the credit to my teammates. They helped me get to this point and I share this honor with them."
Duncan is second in the country with 31 goals, just one behind Niagara's Ted Cook. He also has 26 assists and 57 points in 42 games.
"The Hobey is much more than just on-ice ability and play," Hakstol said. "It's an award that goes to a complete person. Ryan is excellent in the classroom, great in the community and his play on the ice speaks for itself."
