Knies, Cooley, Fantilli named Hobey Baker Award finalists

Matthew Knies, Logan Cooley, and Adam Fantilli have been named the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA top men's hockey player.

Knies and Cooley make up two-thirds of Minnesota's top line alongside Jimmy Snuggerud.

Knies, 20, has 21 goals and 20 assists in 38 games for the Golden Gophers during his sophomore season. Selected 57th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021, the 6-foot-3, 209-pound power forward is widely expected to turn pro after the Frozen Four.

Cooley, 18, has 20 goals and 37 assists in 37 games with the Golden Gophers in what's been a sensational freshman campaign. The Arizona Coyotes selected the playmaking center third overall in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Fantilli, also a freshman, has 29 goals and 35 assists in 35 contests with Michigan. The 18-year-old is the consensus No. 2-ranked prospect for the 2023 NHL Draft behind Connor Bedard.

The winner will be announced on April 7.