Michigan hockey: Adam Fantilli wins the Hobey Baker Award
Michigan lost its Frozen Four game with Quinnipiac Thursday, but the program got great news Friday when freshman Adam Fantilli won the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s best college hockey player. Fantilli became only the third freshman ever to win the award after he led the nation in scoring.
Fantilli beat out Minnesota frosh Logan Cooley and sophomore Matthew Knies for the award.
Fantilli led the nation in points this season with 64 in 35 games, adding another in the loss to the Bobcats. His 29 goals were seven more than Cooley, the nation’s No. 2 scorer, heading into the Frozen Four.
He thanked his family, his coaches, the Michigan fans and several others in his acceptance speech.
“To my teammates — you are my brothers,” Fantilli said. “I’ve never been on a team that’s made everyone feel like family as much as you guys. This has been an unforgettable ride. And thank you to our senior class. You guys have had such an impact on us as freshmen and our team as a whole. You guys are amazing.”
He later thanked coach Brandon Naurato, recently named permanent coach, for his support.
“He’s one of those people I wouldn’t be here without,” Fantilli said.
Fantilli was the named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman First Team, the All-Big Ten First Team, and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He’s still contemplating returning to Michigan for another year, but admitted he wasn’t sure about his next step.
Michigan is now tied with Boston College and Boston University for the third-most Hobey Baker winners (three) in NCAA history. Brendan Morrison (1997) and Kevin Porter (2008) won it before him.
“I would say No. 1, it’s just his compete level,” Naurato said recently of Fantilli on the “NHL Draft Class” podcast. “He’s such a competitive kid on and off the ice. He wants to win every race and battle in the game, every small-area game in practice. And he has such a high-end motor. … He’s always going 100 mph all the time.”
Sophomore forward Dylan Duke, meanwhile, called him the best player he’d ever played with.
“Owen [Power] and Matty Beniers are right there with him, but he does a lot to make himself better,” Duke said. “At the end of the day, he’s a great person, and I think that’s why he has so much success on the ice. He treats all of us with respect, and he’s like the rest of us. He doesn’t act like he’s supposed to go first overall, second overall, whatever he’s going to go here [in the NHL Draft].
“He’s just a special person.”
But it’s clear Fantilli isn’t the typical superstar. His entire team proved it by sticking around to support him at the outdoor ceremony.
His brother, Michigan frosh defenseman Luca Fantilli, was among them. Fantilli thanked him specifically after giving his teammates the shoutout.
“Luca, my best friend and brother, someone I’m lucky enough to call my teammate,” Fantilli said. “Not many guys get to play with their brother, but I’ve been fortunate enough to do it for the last four years. None of this would be possible without you today, without you being with me through dorm rooms and billet houses, so, thank you, man.”
Now, Fantilli will have a tough decision to make about his future. Defenseman Luke Hughes is reportedly moving on, joining the New Jersey Devils. He came back for one more year after an outstanding season, though … perhaps Fantilli will follow suit.
“I don’t know,” Fantilli said. “I’ve got to talk to the people around me and discuss that decision eventually. I’ll come to it pretty soon.”
