Hamilton hockey player named finalist for U.S. college award
Scott Radley
The Hamilton Spectator
On Wednesday, he was signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team he grew up loving.
On Thursday morning, he participated in his first practice as a pro.
Then later in the day, Hamilton’s Spencer Abbott was named one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top collegiate hockey player in the United States.
So how’s your week going?
While huge, the latest honour was widely expected for the 23-year-old Sherwood grad and former Hamilton Red Wing who led the NCAA in scoring this season with the University of Maine Black Bears. He’d led fan voting for the award a couple weeks ago, making him almost a sure thing to reach this point.
Abbott, whose deal with the Leafs was for one year at $925,000 beginning next season, was named his conference’s player of the year as well as the New England player of the year. He was the NCAA player of the month in December.
He’s now up against Jack Connolly, a high-scoring University of Minnesota-Duluth senior forward, and Austin Smith, a senior sniper from Colgate, for the award. Both of those players are American.
None of the three will be playing in the Frozen Four, college hockey’s version of the Final Four. Abbott’s Black Bears were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by Connolly’s Bulldogs, who were then knocked out by Boston College.
Colgate didn’t make the playoffs.
Previous winners of the Hobey Baker Award include Ryan Miller, Chris Drury and Paul Kariya.
No Hamiltonian has ever won.
