After we recorded our ‘This Week in Wisconsin Prep Hockey: Week 7’, I made the following comment to the cast:
“The other day I finished watching the movie “Knute Rockne, All American” and at the end of the movie it concludes with the funeral. At the time all of the country could listen to the funeral on the radio. Who in hockey could you see in that role?”
Trasher responded, “Maybe Hobey Baker”.
Bergler replied, “I’m not sure if anyone would. That was a different era.”
Actually I find myself agreeing with both aspects. I agree with Trasher, in that, Hobey Baker is a great example of everything good associated with sports, hence the “Hobey Baker Award”.
However, it makes me a little sad that I can agree with Bergler. Not that I find it hard to agree with different aspects with Bill, but that it seems our heroes are gone. Have we become so cynical that we can’t find heroes?
Hobey Baker Award
If you follow hockey, you’ve heard of the Hobey Baker Award. However, how many really know about the man the award commemorates.
Hobart Amory Hare Baker was only 26 years old, when he died on December 21, 1918. He was born in to a prominent family in Philadelphia on January 15, 1892. He attended Princeton University from 1910 to 1914. He played on three national championship teams (football in 1911, hockey in 1912 and 1914). In 1915, he helped the St. Nicholas Hockey Club in New York City win a national amateur championship. Baker was offered a contract by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey Association. He turned down the three year contract offer of $20,000 due to the fact of social conventions prohibited a person of his standing from playing sports for money. In 1916, Baker joined the civil aviation corps lead by General Leonard Wood on Governor’s Island off the coast of Manhattan. When the United States entered World War I, he left the U.S. for Europe on August 23, 1917 (among the first group of Americans). On December 21, 1918 Baker received orders to return to the United States. He was reluctant to leave France and decided to take one last flight at his squadron’s airfield in Toul, France. As he was heading to his aircraft, a mechanic brought out a recently repaired plane in need of a test flight. Baker took the plane up saying as commanding officer he could not let anyone else test the aircraft. This turned into his final flight. He took off in a heavy rain and a ¼ of a mile into the flight the engine failed. His plane crashed nose first a few hundred yards from the airfield. He was freed of the aircraft, but died in the ambulance a few minutes later.
The following is a direct quote from Wikipedia:
“Baker is considered one of the greatest ice hockey players of his era, and the first great American hockey player. He was one of the first nine players inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame upon its founding in 1945, the first American so honored, and was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as one of its charter members in 1973. Baker was posthumously awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey in 1987 for his contributions to hockey in the United States. In 1975, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and is the only person in both the College Football and Hockey Halls of Fame. Baker was also inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.”
Patty Kazmaier Award
The Patty Kazmaier Award is the equivalent of the Hobey Baker Award in women’s collegiate hockey. Patty Kazmaier was a four year varsity letter-winner for Princeton University’s women’s hockey team from 1981 to 1986. She had taken a leave of absence from the University from 1984-85 and returned for her senior year in 1985-86. She died at the age of 28 on February 15, 1990 after a struggle with a rare blood disease, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Those are the two biggest awards in NCAA men and women’s hockey.
Wisconsin Prep Hockey has six awards, which are presented each year to Wisconsin High School Hockey players. These awards are named for six individuals (still living), who have had a positive impact on hockey in Wisconsin. They are as follows:
Jinelle Siergiej Award
Girl’s High School Hockey Forward of the Year
In high school, Jinelle played for Northland Pines Boy's varsity hockey team. Jinelle went on to play her college hockey for the UW Badgers. Over her four year career at the UW, she helped win two national championships and scored 133 career points. She was a member of the 2007 Women's National team which took the silver medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship. In 2006 and 2007, she was a member of the U.S. Women's Select team for the Four Nations Cup. She was a participant in the USA Hockey Women's National Festival in 2006, 2007 and 2009. Jinelle was a member of the 2010 Women's Olympic hockey team.
Molly Engstrom Award
Girl’s High School Hockey Defender of the Year
Molly is from Siren, WI. She played for the UW-Badger Women’s hockey team from 2001-05. Molly played on the 2006 and 2010 USA Women’s Olympic hockey teams. She was awarded the Directorate Award for Best Defenseman at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. She has been a five time member of the U.S. Women’s National Team for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women’s Championship. Her teams won the gold medal in 2005, 2008 and 2009. They won the silver medal in 2004 and 2007. In 2007, Molly was the IIHF World Championships top defenseman.
Jessie Vetter Award
Girl’s High School Hockey Goaltender of the Year
Jessie attended the 2010 WIAA Girls State Hockey Tournament and presented the award to Hillary Drake of the Central Wisconsin Storm in March. Jessie played goalie for Monona Grove Silver Eagles and states that girls hockey was not available then. Jessie went on to play for the UW Badgers Women's team, where she was part of three NCAA National Championship teams. She finished her collegiate career with 91 wins, 39 shutouts and a 0.941 save percentage. Her senior year, Jessie won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which is given to the nation's top women's hockey player. She has two world championship medals and a silver medal from the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Joe Pavelski Award
Boy’s High School Forward of the Year
Pavelski won a silver medal for the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Pavelski lead the Stevens Point Panthers to their first state hockey title in 2002 and in 2004 he lead the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL to the Clark Cup Champsionship. He was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team in 2005 with the UW Badger hockey team, and won an NCAA championship with the Badgers in 2006 while leading the team in points. He is currently a member of the San Jose Sharks, and part owner of the Janesville Jets (NAHL).
Davis Drewiski Award
Boy’s High School Defenseman of the Year
Drewiske won a the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Assocation's Player of the Year award in 2003 while playing for his hometown Hudson Raiders. Drewiske was a four-year member of the UW Badger hockey team, including being the team's captain in his senior season. He won an NCAA championship with the Badgers in 2006. Drewiske is currently a member of the LA Kings, and won the Stanley Cup in 2012.
Kirk Daubenspeck Award
Boy’s Goaltender of the Year
Daubenspeck, a Madison native, played one year of high school hockey with Madison East before going to Culver Military Academy. He joined the Badgers in 93, behind Jim Carey and took over as the starter the following season. He was named an All-American, and in his final game with the Badgers he stopped 75 shots in a 1-0 loss to Colorado College that lasted four overtimes. After his career with the Badgers he played 9 seasons of minor league hockey in the IHL, AHL and ECHL.
We still have our heroes. They may not be as prominent as some others, but every time I see a former player take up coaching and teaching the game to the next group of kids or when I see youth players watching the high school players and cheering for them at games, I can see heroes still exist. It just depends on where you look.
