Neal Broten of Roseau, Minnesota, was the first winner of the Hobey Baker Award. He scored 71 points in 41 games as a freshman with the Gophers in 1979, and scored 71 points in 36 games as a sophomore on 17 goals and 54 assists in his Hobey Baker campaign of 1980-81. He scored the game-winning goal in Minnesota’s 4-3 win over North Dakota in the 1979 NCAA Championship game. He spent the 1979-80 season with the U.S. Olympic Team, helping them to the 1980 gold medal. He was selected by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, and received the North Stars’ Bill Masterton Memorial Cup in 1984 and again in 1986. Broten spent 15 seasons with the Stars franchise (Minnesota and Dallas, 2 stints) before being traded to the New Jersey Devils in February, 1995, the year the Devils won their first Stanley Cup. His number was retired by the Dallas Stars after 17 years in the NHL. Broten currently resides in River Falls, Wisconsin.
Top Ten:
Player Stats
| Type | Season | Team Name | League | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Season | 1998-1999 | USA | WC Q | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | |
| Hobey Winning Season | 1980-1981 | Univ. of Minnesota | NCAA | 17 | 54 | 71 | 56 |
1981 Runner Up
Ulseth born and raised in Minnesota attended the University of Minnesota where he played four seasons (1977 – 1981) of NCAA Division I college hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Ulseth went on to play the 1981–82 season with the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League, and then played the 1982–83 season with the Tulsa Oilers and Peoria Prancers before retiring from professional hockey. Ulseth is now employed as a sales representative for Miken hockey sticks. Scored 84 goals and 118 assists for 202 points, while earning 48 penalty minutes, in 148 games played. Named WCHA Most Valuable Player senior year for Minnesota Gophers