The race for the Hobey Baker: An early season Top 5

The Heisman Trophy of college hockey. That is what many college hockey fans call the most prestigious award in all of college hockey, the Hobey Baker Award.

Even though most teams across the country only have one or two series under their belts to start the year, there are already some clear-cut favorites to win the award. Five players in particular have set themselves apart.

5. Brandon Chabrier: Defenseman, University of Maine

The first and only defenseman on this list is Brandon Chabrier out of the University of Maine. While patrolling the blue line, Chabrier is seventh in the country in points per game with four, which leads all defenseman across the country.

Additionally, the senior defenseman is second in the country in assists with four. Although he is yet to put one in the back of the net himself, Chabrier only needs two goals to tie the second-best defenseman in the country, Boston University’s Cole Hutson.

4. Cole Eiserman: Forward, Boston University

The first of four forwards to make an appearance on this list is Boston University’s Cole Eiserman. The New York Islanders' 2024 first-round pick ranks eighth in the nation with six points.

Eiserman also leads his team in goals and is second in the country in this statistic with five in his first three games. This gives him an average of 1.67 goals per game.

Eiserman’s goals have also allowed him to be ranked second in the nation in power-play goals. After a strong showing in Boston University’s home series against Colgate, Eiserman is looking to ride this wave of momentum and find himself even higher on this list.

3. Gavin McKenna: Forward, Penn State

For most college hockey fans, putting Gavin McKenna at the number three spot may seem too low. However, unlike the two previous players, McKenna does not lead the country in a single statistic.

I have him ranked this high, though, because of how well-rounded he has been, and I believe that he will live up to the immense amount of hype surrounding the projected first overall pick of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Through four games, McKenna has four points, one goal and three assists. Early on, McKenna showed why he is a once-in-a-generation talent in the Nittany Lions road series against Arizona State, where he netted the game-winning goal in the second game of the series to help Penn State complete its sweep of the Sun Devils.

2. Aiden Fink: Forward, Penn State

As the second Nittany Lion on this list, forward Aiden Fink has not slowed down since last season. After finishing in the top ten for the Hobey Baker, Fink is back to secure an award that he felt he had rightly earned last season.

To start the season, Fink ranks 20th in points per game with an average of 1.50. While this may not seem too impressive, other statistics reveal more to the story. Fink has had five assists through four games, giving him an average of 1.25 per game.

This puts him at twelfth in the nation. If you’re still not impressed, I would urge you to jump on the Aiden Fink bandwagon early. With even more elite talent around him, Fink has the potential to outdo last season and become college hockey’s best player.

1. Charlie Cerrato: Forward, Penn State

In a trio of elite Nittany Lions, Charlie Cerrato has been the front of the lion pride. Cerrato doesn't just lead the team statistically; he is also one of the statistical leaders in college hockey.

Cerrato leads the nation in points per game and assists per game. On top of that, Cerrato is fourth in the nation in faceoffs won with 47. After a stellar freshman season where he was named to the Big Ten All-Freshmen Team, Cerrato was selected in the second round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.

With this momentum, Cerrato has led a star-studded Penn State roster to a 3-1 record and the best chance at a National Championship that that program has had since falling to Boston University in last year’s semi-final.

For most teams, the season has just started. But, for these programs and players, this season started at the end of last season. This belief is what has set these programs and players apart. This belief will lead one of the players to the stage of accepting the 2026 Hobey Baker Award

Max Malec is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mvm7264@psu.edu.