Three Badgers up for Big Ten awards
March 12, 2021 | Men's Hockey
Cole Caufield, Emberson, Granato make list of finalists
After winning Freshman of the Year last season, sophomore forward and top scorer in the nation Cole Caufield is a finalist for the Player of the Year award. However, that's not the only honor he's received this season -- Caufield is a four-time Big Ten First Star of the Week -- and his 24 goals and 43 points in league play put him 10 goals and points ahead of the next closest scorer. His 25 goals in all games are nine better than the closest play, while his 46 points are also best in the nation. Caufield is a 2019 first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens.
The assists leader among defensemen, a Mike Richter Award finalist and a 25-goal scorer make up this season's #B1GHockey Player of the Year finalists:
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) March 11, 2021
🏆 Cam York, @umichhockey
🏆 Jack LaFontaine, @GopherHockey
🏆 Cole Caufield, @BadgerMHockey
📰 ➡️ https://t.co/Ge4UWInIm5 pic.twitter.com/9XqLeoHi0r
Junior defenseman Ty Emberson is also up for an award. The Badgers' captain was named a finalist for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year along with York and Minnesota's Brock Faber. Emberson, a 2013 third-round draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes, racked up three goals and seven assists for 10 points this season to help lead his team to a Big Ten title. His plus-14 is tops on the Badgers and rank in the top-10 among Big Ten skaters. Emberson anchored a UW defense that ranked second in the conference by allowing just 2.17 goals per game in league action.
A gold-medal winner, a freshman standout and a Badger captain make up the group of #B1GHockey Defensive Player of the Year finalists:
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) March 11, 2021
🏆 Cam York, @umichhockey
🏆 Brock Faber, @GopherHockey
🏆 Ty Emberson, @BadgerMHockey
📰 ➡️ https://t.co/Ge4UWInIm5 pic.twitter.com/bhImwPTCS4
Skaters aren't the only Badgers to receive recognition.
Head Coach Tony Granato is up for Big Ten Coach of the Year, a fitting honor after coaching the Badgers from last to first in the Big Ten. In his fifth season as Badgers' head coach, Granato directed UW to a record of 19-8-1 and 17-6-1 in Big Ten action and a No. 4 national ranking. He last won the award in 2017 after coaching Wisconsin to a second-place finish in the Big Ten during his first season behind the Wisconsin bench.
#B1GHockey News ⤵️
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) March 11, 2021
This season's Coach of the Year finalists combine to boast nearly 600 career victories:
🏆 Mel Pearson, @umichhockey
🏆 Bob Motzko, @GopherHockey
🏆 Tony Granato, @BadgerMHockey
📰 ➡️ https://t.co/Ge4UWInIm5 pic.twitter.com/ONdeVJrC5R
The Badgers are heading to South Bend, Indiana, next to compete in the Big Ten tournament. Their first-place finish in the regular season earned them a bye straight to one of two semifinals set to take place at 3:30 p.m. CT on Monday, March 15. The entire Big Ten tournament will air on Big Ten Network.
On March 16, Big Ten Network will announce the men's hockey All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners as selected by the conference's coaches and a media panel. The honorees will be unveiled between 2 p.m. ET to 2:20 p.m. ET via the @B1GHockey Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as a release from the Big Ten Conference.
