I was recently at a banquet held at the Decathlon Club in Bloomington, MN,
which is the sponsor of the Hobey Baker Award. They had a display of the
award, along with  pictures and info of all the past winners. They also
had a small pamphlet describing the history. I thought some of you may be
interested in this story.
 
 
PROFILE OF THE HOBEY BAKER AWARD
 
The purpose and goals of the award are to honor, on an annual basis, the
outstanding collegiate hockey player in the United States, and to promote
collegiate hockey and encourage physical activity and sportsmanship for
youth.
 
The criteria for the selection of the winner of the Hobey Baker Award are
that he exhibit strength of character both on and off the ice, contribute
to the team effort and display outstanding hockey skills (candidates can
be forwards, defensemen or goalies), and that he comply with all NCAA rules.
Considerations are also given to scholastic achievements, sportsmanship and
aspirations.
 
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is composed of an award committee which directs
all activities pertaining to the award and the dinner honoring each year's
winner. Responsibilities of the selection of the winner are assumed by an
Advisory Committee, a Selection Committee, and all NCAA and NAIA college
hockey coaches.
 
 
THE LEGEND OF HOBEY BAKER
 
"Like his contemporaries Jim Thorpe, Ty Cobb, and Jack Johnson, Hobey Baker
was a fabulous athlete; like them, he had a great physique, fantastic reflexes,
instant coordination of hand and eye, iron discipline, blazing courage. But to
these rare abilities he added another dimension all his own...to the public
during his career at Princeton and St. Nick's (an amateur team) he was the
college athlete supreme; the gentleman sportsman, the amateur in the pure
sense playing the game 'pour le sport,' who never fouled, despised publicity,
and refused professional offers." So wrote John Davies in his biography,
"The Legend of Hobey Baker"
 
Prior to entering Princeton in 1910, Baker attended the St. Paul's school in
Concord, New Hampshire, where Malcolm K. Gordon, another United States Hall
of Famer, was his coach. At Princeton he was not only a legend in hockey,
but in football as well. He captained the hockey team for two years and the
football team of one, and was named to the College Football Hall of Fame.
After leaving Princeton, Baker continued in hockey with the St. Nicholas
Club until his entry into the famed United States flying unit the Lafayette
Esquadrille, in World War I, where he was noted for his bravery. He was
killed in a tragic air accident shortly after the end of the war.
 
Baker was selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in 1945, and the
United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.
 
 
THE TROPHY
 
The designer and sculptor of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award trophy is Bill
Mack, a sculptor from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mack has been sculpting for
many years, and earned his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Minnesota
where he studied under noted sculptress Katherine Nash.
 
The Hobey Baker trophy depicts a hockey player in action. It weighs around
40 pounds, and is 16 inches high. The figure has an antique finish, the
bronze base is polished, and the based is crystal clear acrylic. The winner
of the award and the winner's school receive an identical trophy. The original
is permanently on display in the lobby of the Decathlon Athletic Club.
 
Steve Christoff was selected from a large field of candidates to be the model
for the sculpture. Steve  epitomizes the spirit and excellence of amateur
hockey. He was an outstanding high school competitor at Richfield High School
in Richfield, Minnesota, he played on the University of Minnesota  hockey
team, and was a consistent star on the 1980 Gold Medal winning Olympic team
Steve also played for the Minnesota North Stars hockey club.
 
 
HISTORY
 
In 1978 a small group of members and staff of the Decathlon Athletic Club began
looking into the feasibility of an idea fostered by Chief Executive Officer
Chuck Bard to offer a hockey award similar to the Heisman Football award and the
Wooden basketball award. Searching through all available source of information,
it became increasingly obvious that this idea would be met with an enthusiastic
response from the world of collegiate hockey.
 
During 1979, a formation committee was established to define the ideas behind
the project and architect a procedure and play for its inception. By September
of that year, the committee was hard at work on the overwhelming number of
questions and problems that had to be dealt with to accomplish the final goal
of the award. One of those questions was what to name the award.
 
In the fall of 1979, Chuck and Walter Bush, then Vice  President of the
Minnesota North Stars hockey club, began a search for an appropriate name for
the award. Very early in the search one of the choices piqued the interest of
Chuck... Hobey Baker, of Princeton University. After a study of the history of
Hobey Baker, the conclusion was obvious - no one else epitomized the ideals of
this award more than this legend of the early 1900's. The choice was unanimously
confirmed.
 
With the name settled, the other tasks and duties rapidly began to fall in place
and by March 1980 an announcement was planned to coincide with the first annual
NCAA East-West All Star hockey game in St. Paul, Minnesota.
 
At noon Thursday, April 10,1980, the hard work and dreams of this small group
became a living tradition, as the announcement was made public for the first
time. The Hobey Baker Memorial Award would be a reality!
 
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In other news... former North Stars coach, and present Quebec GM, Pierre Page
offered the Minnesota Gophers' coach Doug Woog a coaching position in his
organization if he's interested. Woog said thanks, but no thanks. (whew!!)
Also, the U. of Minnesota board of regents is voting today on a plan to build
a new hockey arena on campus (yeah!). Williams arena would be upgraded for the
basketball team, and Mariucci arena, where the hockey team currently plays, will
be gutted and renovated to a smaller gym for women's basketball and volleyball.
The vote is expected to pass with a bill of $37 million.
 
go go gophers...
shari