Two Alberni Valley Bulldogs alumni have been nominated for college hockey’s most prestigious award.
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is given annually to the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player in the nation, and two former Alberni Valley Bulldogs players are on a list of more than 50 nominees for the 2021 award.
Keaton Mastrodonato, currently in his sophomore year with Canisius College, is one of the nominees. Mastrodonato spent three seasons with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, amassing 40 goals and 54 assists in 125 regular-season contests. He led the Bulldogs in scoring during the 2017-18 season.
He was named the Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Month in February 2020, and recently earned Player of the Week honours with Atlantic Hockey.
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Another Bulldogs alumnus, Ryan Steele, has also been nominated. Steele joined the Bulldogs in 2016 and was named captain of the team for the 2017-18 season, before being traded to the West Kelowna Warriors midway through the season.
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Steele is currently in his junior year with Sacred Heart University.
Mastrondonato and Steele are two of 11 BCHL alums up for the honour. Nominated players were submitted by the athletic departments of the Division I men’s hockey schools. The top 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker will be announced in March.
Fan voting is currently open at www.hobeybaker.com/vote.