Michigan State’s Isaac Howard Wins Hobey Baker Award
Michigan State star forward Isaac Howard has capped off his memorable year with the most prestigious individual honor in college hockey.
On Friday, Howard was announced as this year’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner, making him this season’s most outstanding player.
The award was announced at the Hobey Baker Award ceremony in St. Louis, which aired live on NHL Network.
Howard won the honor over fellow finalists Zeev Buium of Denver and Ryan Leonard of Boston College.
The junior forward is one of just three Spartans to win the award, joining fellow legends Kip Miller and Ryan Miller.
Howard turned in a remarkable season for the Spartans this year, tallying 47 points in the regular season, the fifth-highest mark in the nation, scoring 24 goals and 23 assists. By the end of Michigan State’s stunning season-ending loss, he had racked up 52 points on the year, which is currently ranked fifth in the country, while his 26 goals ranks third.
Howard’s 33 points in Big Ten play earned him the conference’s scoring title. He would be named the Big Ten Player of the Year and was also named an All-Big Ten First Team honoree, the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player and a first-team All-American.
The veteran forward’s 2024-25 campaign was nothing short of memorable. From hat tricks to game-winners, Howard served as the heartbeat of a Michigan State team that won the Big Ten regular season and tournament title for a second-straight season, becoming the first program in Big Ten history to accomplish such a feat.
And more memories are sure to be made, as it was recently revealed that Howard would be returning for a senior season and not yet move on to the next level. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Michigan State finished the season with a 26-7-4 overall record with a 15-5-4 record in conference. The Spartans ended up earning the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and were looking to cap off the year with a national title before that goal was quickly voided with an upset loss to Cornell in the opening round.
With Howard back on the ice next season, that will be the goal once again, and it will certainly be attainable.
