The Carolina Hurricanes have been well represented in the NCAA this year with multiple prospects having strong seasons.
A few, however, have been a step above the rest.
Three Canes prospects were nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given annually to the best player in college hockey.
2023 first-round pick Bradly Nadeau (University of Maine), 2021 second-round pick Scott Morrow (UMass) and 2021 fourth-round pick Jackson Blake (University of North Dakota) were among the initial list of nominees.
Nadeau currently has 14 goals and 31 points in 22 games with the Black Bears as a freshman. He sits 10th in the NCAA in points per game.
His brother Josh, who Carolina invited to its development camp and also plays for Maine, was also a nominee with 12 goals and 32 points in 22 games.
Morrow, a junior with the Minutemen, has five goals and 21 points in 22 games. He's a power play quarterback and has had strong two-way results this season.
Blake is the leading scorer for the No. 2 ranked North Dakota Fighting Hawks with 16 goals and 34 points in 26 games as a sophomore and he currently sits tied for fifth in NCAA scoring.
He's taken a big step forward and has been scoring at a crazy rate.
Interesting to note is that Massimo Rizzo, who the Canes selected in the seventh round of the 2019 draft but traded to the Philadelphia Flyers this offseason, is also a nominee with Denver where he's the NCAA's leading scorer with 10 goals and 42 points in 26 games.
The pool of over 80 candidates will be narrowed down to just 10 through a fan vote and then again to a final three where the selection committee will then choose the winner.
Fans can vote here.