Trey Augustine, Albin Boija, Jacob Fowler, Alex Tracy voted finalists for NCAA’s top goaltender award
Four masked men have been voted the final candidates for college hockey’s top goaltending award.
On Wednesday, the Hockey Commissioners Association announced the four candidates for the Mike Richter Award, a trophy given to the best netminder in NCAA D-I men’s hockey.
The award has been handed out since 2014, with some of the best netminders in today’s game being honored, including Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (UMass-Lowell, 2014), Vancouver Canucks netminder Thatcher Demko (Boston College, 2017) and Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi (Northeastern, 2023).
Here are the final four finalists for this year’s award.
Trey Augustine (So.), Michigan State
One of the most talked-about goaltending prospects in the collegiate ranks, Augustine is having another dynamite season in East Lansing, as his play has made the team national championship contenders.
The Detroit Red Wings draft pick was named the Big Ten Conference’s goaltender of the year. He currently leads the league in wins (18), goals-against average (2.02), and save percentage (.927). Augustine has shown he has the skill set to make an impact at the next level.
On top of his success with the Spartans, the second-year netminder also backstopped the United States to the gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship for the second straight year.
Augustine looks to become the second goaltender from the Big Ten to win the Richter in consecutive years. Last season, Wisconsin’s Kyle McClellan won the award.
Albin Boija (So.), Maine
While he might not get the same spotlight as some of the other prospects on this list, Boija’s game has been crucial to the Black Bears’ success this season.
With a 21-7-6 record, the Swedish product is second in Hockey East in wins and fourth among all NCAA backstops. Boija is also fourth in the country in GAA (1.75) and ninth in save percentage (.930).
Boija’s efforts have transformed Maine from a meddling team in a very strong league into one of the best teams in the country. Heading into the Hockey East semifinals, the Black Bears are favorites to be a dangerous team in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, currently sitting fourth in the latest rankings.
Boija is trying to become the second goaltender from Maine to win the Mike Richter. Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman earned the honor in 2020.
Jacob Fowler (So.), Boston College
The other candidate out of Hockey East, Fowler is playing magnificently this season behind a very strong Eagles team and is a finalist for the Mike Richter for the second year in a row.
The HEA Goaltender of the Year posted an exceptional 24-6-2 record, helping make Boston College a favorite not only to win a conference championship but also the national title. He is tied for third in wins, with a GAA (1.64) that’s second in the NCAA and a .940 save percentage that’s third in the country.
Many in the Montreal Canadiens fanbase are watching the prospect, hoping he can give some stability to the franchise after his college career is over. Winning a national championship will give Fowler an even higher stock.
Fowler looks to become the first BC goaltender to take home the trophy. Demko was the third-ever winner of the Mike Richter in 2016.
Alex Tracy (Jr.), Minnesota State
It has been a few years since Dryden McKay stunned everyone around college hockey by winning the Hobey Baker Award. Since he graduated, the Mavericks hoped they could find a capable name to fill his place.
They didn’t have to wait long, as Tracy burst onto the scene this year, helping Minnesota State rise back to the top of the CCHA, putting them in line to win the Mason Cup, and being a key reason the team from Mankato is heading back to the national tournament for the first time in two years.
Statistically, Tracy is better than the other three finalists. With a 25-8-3 record, the Chicago native is second in the NCAA in wins, and is first in the nation in GAA (1.41) and SV% (.946). The CCHA Goaltender of the Year is trying to be the first-ever winner of Mike Richter in the conference’s history.