Three Badgers up for 2026 Hobey Baker fan vote
January 27, 2026 | Men's Hockey
Vote for Morrissey, Finley and Dexheimer with text to vote now!!!
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MADISON, Wis. – Three Badgers – Quinn Finley, Gavin Morrissey and Ben Dexheimer – find themselves among those nominated for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award fan vote.
The Hobey Baker is awarded annually to college hockey's most outstanding player. This year, voting takes place via text.
TO VOTE
Quinn Finley - Text: 26055 to 844-623-9688 to vote
Gavin Morrissey - Text: 26057 to 844-623-9688 to vote
Ben Dexheimer - Text: 26056 to 844-623-9688 to vote
Junior forward Finley ranks second on the team with 10 goals and is tied for second with 19 points. Through 22 games played, he has four power-play goals and one short-handed tally. The Suamico, Wisconsin, native started the year with Preseason All-Big Ten First Team honors, and was named the conference's third star on Dec. 9 after a three-goal, five-point performance in Wisconsin's series at Notre Dame on Dec. 5-6. Finley leads the roster with seven career multi-goal games and 19 multi-point contests. This marks the second time that the forward has been nominated for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award fan vote, after getting nominated for the honor in 2024-25.
Like Finley, sophomore forward Morrissey is also a two-time Hobey Baker Award fan vote nominee, also receiving the accolade in 2024-25. The Rochester Hills, Michigan, native leads the Badgers with 21 points and 18 assists in 21 games played, and also shares fourth in the Big Ten in assists and 14th in scoring. His 12 points in Big Ten play are tied for 10th in the conference, and his nine assists are tied for fifth. The forward owns the longest point streak for the Badgers this season when he went nine games with at least one point (three goals, 10 points) between Oct. 17 and Nov. 21. He's excelled in the faceoff circle as well, with his 260 wins ranking 14th in the country and his 57.9 percent success rate ranking fifth in the Big Ten among skaters who have won at least 100 faceoffs.
Senior defenseman and team captain Dexheimer leads all Big Ten defensemen with 19 points on five goals and 14 assists in 24 games played. The senior is tied for second among the Badgers with 19 points, while his 14 assists rank second. He's also tied for 14th nationally among defensemen. The Edina, Minnesota, native was named the Big Ten's third star of the week on Nov. 25 after playing the hero in the Badgers' 2-1 overtime win at then-No. 1 Michigan State on Nov. 22, scoring the game-winner 2:36 into the extra time.
Vote for Finley, Morrissey and Dexheimer here.
The first phase of fan balloting runs now through March 8. Fans can cast their vote once per day during the initial phase.
Phase two of fan balloting will feature the Top Ten Hobey Baker finalists beginning March 18 and closing March 29. The fans' vote accounts for a percentage of the total ballot in each phase in selecting this year's award recipient.
The 2026 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced from a field of three Hobey Hat Trick finalists on April 10, 2025, during the NCAA Men's Frozen Four in Las Vegas.
Criteria for the award include candidates emulating the exceptional character traits exhibited by the award's namesake, Hobey Baker. Candidates must demonstrate strength of character both on and off the ice, contribute to the integrity of his team and display outstanding skills in all phases of the game. Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and sportsmanship.
Cole Caufield is the Badgers' most recent Hobey Baker Award winner, claiming the prize back in 2021 after leading Wisconsin to a Big Ten championship and an NCAA tournament appearance. Blake Geoffrion was UW's first winner in 2010. Most recently, then-senior goaltender Kyle McClellan was a top-10 finalist for the award in 2023-24.
This weekend, the Badgers travel to Minneapolis to renew their rivalry with Minnesota on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 30-31. Friday's game starts at 7 p.m., while Saturday's begins at 6 p.m. Both games stream on B1G+. Audio play-by-play can be found on 1310 WIBA as well as on the Badgers app and the Varsity Network app. You can also follow along on X/Twitter and Instagram at @BadgerMHockey.
