USHL

"We are so proud of the accomplishments of these USHL alumni and student-athletes," said USHL President and Commissioner Bill Robertson. "Our League has had such great success in its ability to help develop hockey talent at the highest levels and its is proven in the efforts with National Championships, Hobey Baker Memorial Award winners and All-Americans at the Division I college hockey level."

Minnesota State University goaltender Dryden McKay (Madison Capitols & Green Bay Gamblers, 2015-18) was awarded the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to college hockey's best player. The 24-year-old senior is the third ever goaltender to win the award and first since 2001. McKay's 1.27 goals against average and 0.934 save percentage are both in the top-three for league netminders. Fellow USHL alumni University of Denver forward Bobby Brink (Sioux City Musketeers / USA Hockey NTDP, 2017-19) and University of Minnesota forward Ben Meyers (Fargo Force, 2016-19) joined McKay as the Hat Trick Finalists. 

McKay is the 15th Hobey Baker Award winner to come from the USHL, third in-a-row (Cole Caufield, 2020-21 & Scott Perunovich, 2019-20) and fifth in the last six seasons (Adam Gaudette, 2017-18 & Will Butcher, 2016-17). McKay was not selected in the NHL Draft and figures to be a free agent signing in the coming days. 

In 139 appearances over four seasons with Minnesota State, McKay accumulated a 113-19-4 record with a 1.45 goals against average and 0.932 save percentage. The netminder earned his second All-American First Team award (2019-20) this season after being named a Second Team member last season and this season marked the third time in as many seasons he was named Goaltender of the Year for his conference. After earning the CCHA Player of the Year award this season, McKay is now a back-to-back Player of the Year (2020-21, WCHA) in his conference. 

University of Denver won the NCAA Championship in a 5-1 win over Minnesota State University on Saturday night. 

A five-goal third period, including a pair of empty net goals, for Denver erased a deficit the Pioneers had faced since the first period as Jack Devine (USA Hockey NTDP, 2019-21) and Shai Buium (Sioux City Musketeers, 2019-21) picked up assists on the first two goals, respectively. Carter Mazur (Tri-City Storm / USA Hockey NTDP, 2018-21) and Justin Lee (Fargo Force / Lincoln Stars, 2018-19) collected the assists on the insurance goal with 6:26 to play in regulation. Ryan Sandelin (Bloomington Thunder / Sioux City Musketeers, 2015-17) assisted on the lone Minnesota State Mavericks goal. 

The Pioneers reached the NCAA Championship game with a 3-2 overtime Semifinals win over the top-seeded University of Michigan. Brink and Lee each picked up an assist in the win. 

USHL alumni Josh Kosack (Green Bay Gamblers, 2016-17) and Jordan Seyfert (Chicago Steel / Fargo Force / USA Hockey NTDP, 2016-18) also brought home hardware at the end of the season. Kosack earned the Hockey Humanitarian Award and Seyfert was awarded the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award. 

Eighteen USHL alumni were named tot he NCAA First and Second Team All-American squads this season, including Brink, McKay and Meyers. 

In all, USHL alumni accounted for 11 of the 12 First Team All-Americans, including a sweep of the West's six First Team Americans. McKay and Brink were joined by defensemen Ronnie Attard (Tri-City Storm, 2016-19) and Jake Sanderson (USA Hockey NTDP, 2018-20) as well as forwards Matty Beniers (USA Hockey NTDP, 2018-20) and Nathan Smith (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2017-19). In the East, it was defensemen Zach Metsa (Central Illinois Flying Aces / Sioux Falls Stampede / Waterloo Black Hawks / Youngstown Phantoms, 2014-18) and Scott Morrow (Fargo Force / Youngstown Phantoms, 2019-21) along with forwards Nick Abruzzese (Chicago Steel, 2017-19), Aidan McDonough (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2018-19) and Bobby Trivigno (Waterloo Black Hawks, 2017-18).