With a plethora of talent amongst the 10 Hobey Baker Memorial Award Finalists, it initially seems difficult to put one player ahead of the other nine. However, upon closer inspection, it's clear that Ethan Wyttenbach stands firmly above the competition. To understand why Wyttenbach should run away with this award, I break down how Wyttenbach has been the top dog in both character and production. Wyttenbach has a stellar character, going back to his days with the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede. In fact the league thought so highly of him that he was given the Inaugural Gaudreau Award this past April. A large component of this distinction was character. Ethan Wyttenbach Receives The Gaudreau Award [https://ushl.com/images/2025/4/11/Wyttenbach_Ethan.png?preset=large.storyimage] Ethan Wyttenbach Receives The Gaudreau Award United States Hockey League (USHL) President and Commissioner Glenn Hefferan today announced Ethan Wyttenbach of the Sioux Falls Stampede the first recipient of The Gaudreau Award, a yearly honor bestowed upon the player in the USHL who best embodies the legacy of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. [https://ushl.com/news/2025/4/11/general-ethan-wyttenbach-receives-the-gaudreau-award.aspx] Despite dealing with a lower body injury last season, Wyttenbach was a leader in community service hours. He donated his time to mentor local hockey players in the Sioux Falls area, served dinners St. Francis House and rang bells for The Salvation Army all while going on regular school visits. Even after returning from injury, Wyttenbach helped out at youth hockey practices after his own. The USHL called him a "personification of humility and generosity." Wyttenbach signs autographs for youth hockey players following a Quinnipiac home game. Courtesy Instagram via wyttenbach91 [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/403b3f8d-661d-4eb9-b450-edd4fc605650.jpeg] Wyttenbach signs autographs for youth hockey players following a Quinnipiac home game. Courtesy Instagram via wyttenbach91 From my own personal experience seeing Wyttenbach as an opposing broadcaster, he served as a leader both on and off the ice. On a few occasions, Wyttenbach went out of his way to provide me with storylines for my call. On the ice, Wyttenbach has been the best freshman in college hockey, and picked up the 2025-26 ECAC Rookie of the Year. [https://gobobcats.com/news/2026/3/19/mens-ice-hockey-groenewold-wyttenbach-earn-major-ecac-awards-bobcats-selected-to-6-all-conference-accolades] Wyttenbach's 58 points (24 goals + 58 assists) in 38 games flies by the competition. This points figure is six better than Gavin McKenna and ten higher than Max Plante, Wyttenbach's two closest nominees. Wyttenbach is just two assists shy of tying McKenna for second place in the NCAA and four goals below Dartmouth's Hayden Stavroff. Given that Wyttenbach averages .89 assists per game and an NCAA best 1.53 points per game, there is a strong possibility he catches McKenna and Stavroff during the NCAA Tournament. The Calgary Flames will be in good hands whenever Wyttenbach arrives in Alberta. He should be the first Quinnipiac Bobcat to win the Hobey Baker.
