Biega on early Hobey ballot

Congratulations to Harvard defenseman Alex Biega, who as one of 11 ECAC icers to make an appearance on the phase 1 ballot for the 2009 Hobey Baker Award. In 17 games this season, the junior has three goals, nine points, and 40 shots on goal for the Crimson.

Gerbe lands in Hobey Hat Trick

And then there were three. Hobey finalists, that is. Congratulations to Michigan's Kevin Porter, Miami's Ryan Jones, and Boston College's Nathan Gerbe, who today were tabbed as the three finalists for the NCAA's Hobey Baker Award - also known as the Hobey Hat Trick.

Gerbe, a junior forward, has helped guide his Eagles to their third straight NCAA Frozen Four. He has produced 30 goals and 30 assists in 41 games and ranks second in the nation in scoring. Gerbe was named first-team Hockey East and the league's playoff MVP, The Dodge Holiday Classic MVP and was the Hockey Commissioner's December National Player of the Month.

It's worth noting that Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna suggested over a month ago that Gerbe's November suspension should not factor into the award voting.

"I think that would be a shame," Bertagna said. "Believe me, I believe whether it's players or coaches I've always been a stickler for people doing what's expected of them. I think it would be a shame if someone took it that far [to punish Gerbe in the Hobey Baker voting]. I really don't believe there's a body of evidence to make that a factor in the voting, just a couple incidents that happened. It seems like a long time ago to me, and he paid the price for it. To me, he's been a great player since, and I haven't had an incident, or anything anybody has asked me to look at or anything."

This is the first year since 2002 that a goaltender was not part of the 'Hat Trick', and for the first time since 2001 (Ryan Miller - Mich. St./CCHA), the winner will come from a non-WCHA school. The award will be handed out on Friday, April 11th. The Sabres selected Gerbe in the 5th round (142nd overall) of the 2005 Draft.

Gerbe nets winner in Beanpot thriller

Nathan Gerbe played hero tonight at the Beanpot, one-timing a pass from Brian Gibbons at 7:15 of overtime to vault Boston College past Boston University, 4-3. With the win, the Eagles will face Harvard for the famous title in next Monday's late game. After knotting it up in the early third, Gerbe converted a nice feed to pot his 21st goal on his ninth shot of the game. With the puck in his skates and his back to the goalie, Gibbons slid a pass to Gerbe, who came down the left side to bury the winner before engaging in a celebratory slide. Fourth line wing Andrew Orpik made his physical presence felt while delivering one shot on goal for BC. With 21 goals and 18 assists in 25 games, Gerbe's 1.56 points per game is tops in the country. He trails the national goals and points leaders by three in each category, but has played in three fewer games. Gerbe's clutch performance tonight creates a dilemma for Hobey Baker voters who frown upon some of Gerbe's on-ice behavior. The question remains whether or not they can soften their stance, and in turn reward the most explosive, productive player currently playing the college game. The nifty Gerbe has just ten games left to show his stuff, including a key weekend set with Hockey East leaders New Hampshire on February 22nd-23rd. Gerbe and Eagles will sandwich in a game at Massachusetts on Friday before settling the Beanpot with the Crimson.

CSTV knocks Gerbe down a peg

Though it doesn't matter, it's worth pointing out that Boston College LW Nathan Gerbe is still without a first-place vote in CSTV's Hobey Watch. Gerbe was quiet in Friday's tie at Maine, but scored the game winner in the 4-2 Eagles win the next night. Heading to the stretch, Gerbe's 1.61 points-per-game leads the nation, just as it has since he was midstride in his nine-game, 27-point outburst over a month ago. With unanimous front-runner Kevin Porter going pointless over the weekend in then-#1 Michigan's loss and tie against rival Michigan State, one might think something could break at the top of CSTV's list. Instead, last week's #2 was leap-frogged by Miami's Ryan Jones, who had a goal and an assist over two weekend games in Alaska. Jones, 23-year old senior, is having a fine season with 22 goals, but isn't close to being the dynamic player that the feisty Sabres draft pick is. Perhaps Gerbe's battle with Maine's Ben Bishop on Friday overshadowed his breakaway game winner on Saturday. Another online outlet, INCH, seems to take a different approach with their version of the Hobey Watch. Their explanation of Gerbe at #1 sounds eerily similar to thoughts previously expressed in this space (like in the link at the top, for example).

No Hobey? No problem

Boston College forward Nathan Gerbe is getting plenty of support in the media for his fine statistical season on Chestnut Hill. The gifted speedster just posted one of the most prolific tears in recent NCAA memory with 27 points in nine games, yet the gap between he and top-ranked Kevin Porter (PHX) of Michigan in CSTV's Hobey Watch is rather wide. Porter is a great player in his own right, but it's dumbfounding how Gerbe cannot garner one first-place vote from the CSTV panel. From hobeybaker.com:

Hobey Baker Memorial Award Criteria 1. Candidates must exhibit strength of character both on and off the ice. 2. Candidates must contribute to the integrity of the team and display outstanding skills in all phases of the game. 3. Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and sportmanship. 4. Candidates must comply with all NCAA rules: be full time students in an accredited NCAA college or university; and complete 50% or more of the season.

Gerbe's aforementioned praise comes while being criticized for incidents of questionable behavior on the ice. Essentially a blend of the NHL's Lady Byng and Hart trophies, fans should wonder which carries more weight when reading various Hobey forecasts. Let's not be ignorant and suggest that the feisty forward fits the trophy's criteria to a T. He doesn't. He has the character and skills of the first two points. I'm assuming he's compliant with #4. It's the sketchiness of #3 that causes his detractors to claim that he'd misrepresent what the trophy stands for. The great namesake of the Hobey was called for only one penalty during his career at Princeton from 1911-1914. Gerbe has 21 minutes this year alone, but it's still just the eighth-most on the Eagles squad. Even Porter himself has 18 for the Wolverines. The astute hockey fan knows this isn't about penalty minutes anyways. The same set also knows that the game of hockey has changed quite a bit in 94 years. The sport's pace and style demand that a player who's often half-a-foot shorter than his foe doesn't back down. Gerbe's game of skill isn't lacking physicality, something he'll need to continue exuding as a pro. This is really all Sabres fans should be concerned with at this point. Don't get me wrong. Hockey can do without the occasional dive and chirping between whistles. Butt-ending an opponent, like Gerbe did against Merrimack to earn a one-game suspension earlier this year, is a dishonorable thing to do on the ice. I'm not excited that he had been warned about his behavior prior to the suspension, though I wonder if Gerbe was more guilty of retaliating in that particular instance. Merrimack has played a chippy brand in the past, and that particular night saw Eagles goalie John Muse get run, and senior forward Dan Bertram get knocked out of the game by a checking from behind misconduct. It's hard to say when Gerbe's infraction took place because he wasn't penalized for it during the game. I've been critical of Gerbe until this season. I've wanted to see a balanced, dominating presence from the Oxford, MI native, and that's exactly what coach Jerry York has gotten in a season that has seen the suspension of upperclassmen Brett Motherwell (has since left the program) and Brian O'Hanley, and injuries to junior forward Brock Bradford. Gerbe's 1.71 points-per-game is tops in the country, with his 18 goals landing him 5th on the national list. He's a double digit guy in the plus column, and his three short-handed goals are second in the NCAA. Nathan Gerbe is a player with immense talent and heart, much like Hobey Baker. If he doesn't exemplify college hockey's top boy scout to a few media members, so be it. His future is looking to be pointed straight at the NHL, something the coveted award doesn't guarantee.