The men’s ECAC hockey conference has handed out an annual award to the its top rookie since 1962. Because only one man (occasionally two) can win per year, many impressive men’s ECAC freshman seasons have gone without hardware.
In that spirit, similar to our ranking of the best women’s ECAC freshman seasons, we will only be consider campaigns since 2009-10. By limiting its scope to the current calendar decade, the following ranking will ensure recognition for a couple of non-award-winning performances.
A defender who led all national point-getters in his position is among the skaters who made the cut. Three goalies, including one who tied and beat the top two teams in the nation on back-to-back nights, are also ranked.
10. Charlie Finn, Colgate, 2013-14
Finn went 16-8-4 in his first year, retaining a 2.35 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. These totals earned him a spot on the ECAC all-rookie team and third all-star team.
Finn especially stood out in January. The team began the month at the Mariucci Classic, first tying top-ranked Minnesota, the hosts of the tournament, in regulation before prevailing in the shootout. Finn then pitched a shutout over No. 2 Ferris State the next night.
The Raiders then went on to win the next five games, including wins over No. 18 Vermont and No. 13 Clarkson.
9. Andrew Calof, Princeton, 2010-11
Calof averaged just over a point per game as a rookie Tiger, scoring nine goals and added 24 helpers for 33 points in 32 games. This total led the Tigers, and was the fourth-most by a freshman in team history.
More impressively, of his nine goals, three came while killing a penalty.
Calof earned a number of awards for his performance. He was the ECAC and Ivy League rookie of the year, as well as a first-team All-Ivy and third-team All-ECAC forward.
8. Greg Carey, St. Lawrence, 2010-11
Carey scored 23 goals and added 17 assists for 40 points in 40 games during his rookie year. He led the Saints in scoring, making him the first newcomer to do so since 1982.
He also ranked seventh in the conference in points, first among rookies. Nationally, Carey had the fifth-most points among rookies, and the second-most goals.
7. Matthew Peca, Quinnipiac, 2011-12
Peca was a point-per-game player, and demonstrated his impressive playmaking ability as a rookie. He scored eight goals and had 31 assists for 39 points in 39 games for the Bobcats.
His point total ranked third among rookies nationally, and first in the ECAC. He ranked second on the Bobcats in overall points, and first in assists. Peca was also named to the conference’s all-rookie team.
6. Jason Kasdorf, Rensselaer, 2012-13
Kasdorf posted a 14-5-2 record with a .935 save percentage. His 1.62 GAA was the single-season best in team history. These totals also ranked second in the ECAC that year. He especially stood out in league play, with an even better GAA and save percentage.
Kasdorf was named the ECAC rookie of the year and to the second team for this performance. His numbers in his freshman year were the best he posted in his entire collegiate career.
(Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
5. Kyle Hayton, St. Lawrence, 2014-15
Hayton had a record-setting rookie year for St. Lawrence. He went 20-13-3 with a .937 save percentage, 1.95 goals-against average and five shutouts. The last three all broke program records. This helped his team propel to second place after finishing sixth the previous year.
Hayton earned a significant amount of recognition for his performance. He was the ECAC rookie of the year and earned a spot on the second All-star team. He also was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award.
4. Brandon Pirri, Rensselaer, 2009-10
Pirri’s only college season was a solid one, as he scored 11 goals and 32 assists for 43 points in 39 games for the Engineers. This point total ranked second on his team, and second among rookies nationally.
Pirri was named to the ECAC all-rookie team, then signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. He has stuck in the AHL or NHL every season since.
3. Gavin Bayreuther, St. Lawrence, 2013-14
Bayreuther scored nine goals and potted 27 helpers for 36 points in 38 games as a freshman, an impressive output for a blueliner. These were all rookie records for a defender in St. Lawrence history. He ranked second in points by blueliners in the ECAC that year.
As a testament to his versatility and consistency, Bayreuther scored six power-play goals and had points in 25 of the team’s 38 games.
Bayreuther also established that he was not above normal defensive grunt work, blocking 30 shots for the Saints. Coupled with his point totals, that helped him share the title of ECAC rookie of the year with the next player on this list.
2. Sam Anas, Quinnipiac, 2013-14
Anas put up a team- and national rookie-leading line of 22-21-43 in 40 games for the Bobcats. He scored nearly half of his goals on the power play, burying 10 conversions for the nation’s sixth-best unit.
Anas was named the AHCA national rookie of the year and co-ECAC rookie of the year for his performance. He also made the ECAC second team.
1. Adam Fox, Harvard, 2016-17
Fox’s playmaking alone made for impressive season, as he tallied 34 assists in 35 games. With six goals to go with that, he led all NCAA defensemen with 40 points. This was also the fourth-best point total among all rookies nationally.
Fox was especially effective on the power play, tallying 24 of his 40 points while his team was on the man advantage.
Fox was named the ECAC rookie of the year for his performance. He was also a first team All-American, one of two rookies to earn that honor during the 2016-17 season.
Beyond Cambridge, Fox contributed to Team USA’s gold-medal run at the World Junior Championship, and is even in the conversation for the 2018 Olympic squad.
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