Two former Cowichan Valley Capitals players are among 74 names on the long list for the 2018 Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
Myles Powell and David Pope, who both spent portions of their junior A careers with the Caps are up for the award, which is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Div. I men’s hockey.
Fans are invited to vote on the initial list at hobeybaker.com, with the top 10 to be announced later on.
Powell is probably the most recognizable name to Caps fans, having led the team in scoring as a 19-year-old in 2013-14.
The Courtenay native only spent one season with the Caps, leading the way in goals (21) assists (38) and points (59) as the only player to skate in all 58 games. He moved on to the Rochester Institute of Technology the following year.
So far this year, as a senior at R.I.T., he has posted 22 points on eight goals and 14 assists in 21 games, while wearing the captain’s “C” for a second season. Powell has been on the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic team each of the last two seasons.
Pope was only with the Caps for a short time, getting into 24 games as a rookie in 2011-12 before he was traded to the Westside Warriors (now the West Kelowna Warriors) in December of that year for veteran Richard Vanderhoek. The Edmonton product scored two goals as a Cap and assisted on five others before the trade.
He spent the rest of his career with the Warriors, getting drafted by the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings in 2013 (109th overall in the fourth round), before heading to the University of Nebraska-Omaha on a scholarship starting in 2014.
In 22 games so far this season, Pope 31 points on 13 goals and 18 assists, matching his totals from 34 games in 2016-17.
He has also been an NCHC Academic All-Conference player each year of his collegiate career.