2 Rangers prospects among nominees for 2025 Hobey Baker Award as top men’s NCAA hockey player

NHL: NHL Draft
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New York Rangers forward prospects Gabe Perreault and Noah Laba are among the nominees for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award.

The prestigious honor is presented to the most outstanding player in NCAA men’s hockey each season.

Perreault is a sophomore at Boston College, where he’s tied for second in the nation with 20 assists and is 10th with 28 points in 21 games. The 19-year-old’s 1.33 points-per-game average is tied for sixth in all of the NCAA.

A first-round pick (No. 23) by the Rangers in the 2023 NHL Draft, Perreault leads BC in scoring and assists, and is tied for second with eight goals.

He also helped the United States win its second consecutive gold medal at the 2025 World Junior Championship earlier this month. Perreault and fellow 2023 draft pick Drew Fortescue each was on the historic U.S. teams in 2024 and 2025.

Laba was selected in the fourth round (No. 111) of the 2022 draft by the Rangers. The junior center has 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 17 games with Colorado College. He leads them in points and assists and is tied for second in goals.

The 21-year-old center recorded a hat trick on Jan. 17 against Minnesota-Duluth. Earlier in the season, Laba had four assists in a game against Northern Michigan on Oct. 12.

Laba has also won 54 percent of his face-offs this season. In 2023-24, Laba scored 20 goals and had 37 points in 36 games with Colorado College.

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Rangers prospects Gabe Perreault, Noah Laba could turn pro at end of NCAA season

Noah Laba, Colorado College
Noah Laba (Colorado College / credit: Casey B. Gibson)Credit: Photo courtesy Colorado College

There’s a good chance that Perreault and Laba each will turn pro after the NCAA season ends. As perhaps New York’s top prospect, there’ll be much speculation whether Perreault signs his entry-level contract at season’s end. The highly-skilled wing could be a top-six fixture sooner rather than later on Broadway. Last season, he had 60 points (19 goals, 41 assists) in 36 games at BC.

Though older and more physically developed (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), Laba projects to need time adjusting to the pro game in the American Hockey League, not unlike current Rangers rookie pros Dylan Roobroeck and Bryce McConnell-Barker.

San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft, won the Hobey Baker Award last season after a huge freshman season at Boston University. This year’s winner will be announced in April.

Fans can vote for their favorite nominee by clicking here.

Jim Cerny is Executive Editor at Forever Blueshirts and Managing Editor at Sportsnaut, with more than 30 years of ... More about Jim Cerny
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