CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. — ECAC Hockey is proud to announce the recipients of the league’s major individual award men’s winners for the 2022-23 season ahead of crowning the ECAC Hockey Men’s Tournament champion this weekend in Lake Placid.
For the third consecutive season, Rand Pecknold has been named the ECAC Hockey Tim Taylor Men’s Coach of the Year.
Taking home the honor of Howies Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman is Harvard captain Henry Thrun, while Quinnipiac’s Skyler Brind’Amour has been named the Gladiator Best Defensive Forward. Yaniv Perets claims the 2023 ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year award, and his teammate Sam Lipkin earns ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year.
The league is proud to announce Harvard forward Sean Farrell as the 2023 ECAC Hockey Player of the Year.
Tim Taylor Men’s Coach of the Year: Rand Pecknold (Quinnipiac)
For the third consecutive season and fifth time in his career, Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold has been honored with the Tim Taylor Award for the best men’s hockey head coach in ECAC Hockey.
Pecknold guided the Bobcats to a record-setting 20-2-0 season during league play; on February 25, Quinnipiac became the first program to 20 league wins during the regular season, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since the 1988-89 season. Overall, Pecknold coached the team to a 28-3-3 record that culminated in their third consecutive Cleary Cup win. Under Pecknold’s guidance, the Bobcats also won their first Belpot Trophy at the Friendship Four in Belfast, Ireland, along with their second straight CT Ice Tournament title.
Howies Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman: Henry Thrun (Sr., Harvard)
Crimson captain Henry Thrun has led one of the league’s top defensive units, earning the honor of Howies Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman for the first time in his career. Through just 21 regular season league games played, Thrun has blocked 21 shots, good for second on the team, and logged impressive minutes on both the power play and the penalty kill.
Thrun also played a critical role in Harvard’s second place finish league-wide and in their ascent through the national rankings. WIth an 18-4-0 record and one of the league’s only teams to remain undefeated when faced with overtime, Thrun helped the Crimson generate a potent offense and keep the back end locked down, allowing just 48 goals against, good for third lowest in the league.
Gladiator Best Defensive Forward: Skyler Brind’Amour (Quinnipiac)
Senior forward Skyler Brind’Amour had a career year for the Bobcats during the 2022-23 campaign, more than doubling his goal output from 2021-22 with seven goals during league play this season. Combined with his 11 assists, Brind’Amour finished fourth on the team in points with 18 through 22 regular season league contests.
He has also been a valuable contributor to the Bobcats’ back end, blocking 12 shots en route to Quinnipiac’s league-best 30 goals against and helping the team to a historic finish, becoming the first team to reach the 20-win mark in more than 30 years.
ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year: Yaniv Perets (So., Quinnipiac)
An unbelievable league season for Quinnipiac netminder Yaniv Perets concludes with the honor of ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year. Logging more than 1242 minutes between the pipes for the Bobcats, Perets allowed just 26 goals against through the duration of league play while making 387 saves, good for a save percentage of .937. He also wrapped up the regular season with six shutouts against league opponents, including three alone during the month of February.
ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year: Sam Lipkin (Fr., Quinnipiac)
Sam Lipkin wraps up his regular season with a unanimous selection to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team after finishing second on the Bobcats in scoring with 11 goals and 18 assists. He scored three goals on the power play and had two game-winners, finishing third in scoring league-wide in just his first year as a college hockey player. Lipkin finished third among league skaters in points per game average (1.38) with 29 points through just 21 contests.
ECAC Hockey Player of the Year: Sean Farrell (Jr., Harvard)
Sean Farrell has been unstoppable during his junior campaign. At the conclusion of the regular season, Farrell led league skaters in nearly every offensive category, including goals (17), and assists (19), points (36). He finished fourth in the league with three game-winners and third with 77 shots through 22 league contests; Farrell’s best performance was his five-point effort against Dartmouth (February 10), which saw him tally a point on all but one of the team’s goals in that outing.
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