MADISON, Wis. – Senior goaltender Kyle McClellan is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which goes annually to college hockey's top men's hockey player. The Hobey Baker committee made the announcement on Wednesday.

The Big Ten Goaltender of the Year, McClellan leads the nation with a .931 save percentage and seven shutouts. He also ranks second with a 1.92 goals-against average and third with 24 victories.

A Mike Richter Award semifinalist, which puts him among the top-10 for the nation's top goaltender award, the Manchester, Missouri, native is well decorated this year.

Hockey Commissioners Association National Goaltender of the Month for December, he earned Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off Most Outstanding Goaltender with consecutive shutouts over Air Force and Northeastern to lead UW to the tournament title. He also led the Big Ten with five Big Ten Star of the Week honors. He is the Badgers' first All-Big Ten First-Team goaltender.

McClellan began the season perfect, opening with shutouts in UW's first two games of the season, making him the first Badger in school history to record consecutive shutouts over the same opponent during a series. He posted back-to-back shutouts twice during the season.

The NCAA's current career leader with a .926 save percentage, McClellan allowed two goals or fewer in 25 of his 36 starts.

McClellan is in striking distance of a few Wisconsin single-season records, sitting one shutout shy from tying the school mark of eight shutouts set by 2006 Hobey 'Hat Trick' finalist Brian Elliott. He also currently sits second in single-season goals-against average behind Elliott and third in single-season save percentage. Finally, his 24 wins share fifth in program history along with Vezina Trophy winner Jim Carey and UW Athletics Hall of Famer and 1990 NCAA Champion Duane Derksen.

McClellan boasts an eight-game win streak (Dec. 1-Jan. 12) and a six-game win streak (Oct. 20-Nov. 4). During the six-game streak, McClellan helped the Badgers sweep Michigan Tech and then-No. 1 Minnesota on the road, before posting a home sweep over Michigan.

The senior backstops the ninth-ranked Badgers to one of the best defenses in the nation – third in fewest goals allowed per game (1.98) and penalty-killing success rate (86.8 percent) and first in shutouts (eight).

McClellan's inclusion in this year's Hobey top-10 marks the 16th time a Badger has reached this point in the award process and the first time since Cole Caufield and Dylan Holloway were both part of the top-10 during the 2020-21 season. Caufield became the second Badger to win the award that year.

Since the award began in 1981, McClellan is the 15th Badger to reach the top-10. Defenseman Justin Schultz was a top-10 finalist in both 2011 and 2012.

McClellan also becomes the fourth UW goaltender to reach the top-10 list, joining Joel Rumpel (2014), Brian Elliott (2006 – Hat Trick Finalist) and Duane Derksen (1992).

The Hobey Baker Top-10 will be pared down to the Hobey "Hat Trick" top three finalists prior to the NCAA Frozen Four, with the winner announced on Friday, April 12 in St. Paul, Minnesota, during the Frozen Four weekend.
 
Wisconsin's Hobey Baker Memorial Award Top-10
2023       Kyle McClellan
2021       Cole Caufield (Winner)
2021       Dylan Holloway
2014       Joel Rumpel
2012       Justin Schultz
2011       Justin Schultz
2010       Blake Geoffrion (Winner)
2010       Brendan Smith
2009       Jamie McBain
2006       Brian Elliott (Top Three)
2001       Dany Heatley
2000       Steve Reinprecht (Runner Up)
1992       Duane Derksen
1988       Paul Ranheim
1987       Tony Granato
1982       John Newberry