Penn State men’s hockey players Gavin McKenna, Matt DiMarsico, and Josh Fleming have been nominated as initial nominees for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Wednesday, which honors the top player in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey.

Freshman classmates Josh Fleming and Gavin McKenna along with junior Matt DiMarisco were each named as part of 87 initial nominees for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award!! ????#WeAre #HockeyValley

Read https://t.co/4ndUmDenVH

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) January 21, 2026

McKenna has 24 points in 20 games so far this season and recently brought back the Bronze medal in the World Juniors Championship for Team Canada. He is tied at fifth for the nation’s top freshman points leaders. He most recently had his first multi-goal game against Notre Dame and earned this week’s Big Ten Third Star of the Week.

DiMarsico secured his third hat trick of the season and a four-goal weekend after the series against Notre Dame, earninghim this week’s Big Ten First Star of the Week. He is the first player in Penn State history to have multiple hat-tricks in a season. He leads the team in goals and points and is second in the Big Ten for goals.

Fleming leads the nation with a .943 save percentage and is 7-3-0 on the year. He is also undefeated at home with a record of 6-0-0. Fleming has multiple shutouts so far this season, most notably against Minnesota and LIU.

Aiden Fink was the first-ever Nittany Lion to be a Top-10 Finalist for the Hobey Baker Award last season.

Fan voting is now open and will run through March 8. Fans can cast their vote by going to the voting website. Fans can find their favorite player, click on their name, and then text to vote by following the instructions.

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award will be presented during the Frozen Four in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 10.

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