Six Stars Alums Named Hobey Baker Finalists
January 22, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Lincoln Stars News Release
Former Lincoln Stars Noah Laba, Kaidan Mbereko, Owen Michaels, Ryan Ouellette, Aidan Thompson and Travis Treloar have been named finalists for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award.
The Hobey Baker Award is presented each college hockey season to the most "outstanding collegiate hockey player in the United States." It is nationally regarded as the most prestigious award in college hockey. Ninety-seven players were selected across the nation as this year's finalists. The 2025 recipient will be announced April 11 at the Frozen Four in St. Louis.
Laba, a 2020-22 alum, record 58 points (24+34) over 96 games with the Stars before being selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. He has 76 points (36+40) over the last three seasons at Colorado College.
Laba was a 2024 Second-Team All-American and also won the 2023-24 NCHC Defensive Player of the Year. He was part of Team USA's bronze medalist team at the 2023 World Junior Championship.
Mbereko is also in his third season with Colorado College and had been teammates with Laba since the 2021-22 season with the Stars. The 2024 First Team All-American, 2024 NCHC Goaltender of the Year, 2024 First Team All-NCHC member, 2024 Mike Richter Award finalist and 2025 Mike Richter Award watch list member is 35-32-5 with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage over 74 games with the Tigers.
Mbereko previously went 18-11-1-2 with a 3.01 GAA and an .898 SV% with the Stars in 2021-22. He played for Team USA in both the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championships and also previously played for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program from 2019-21.
Michaels spent parts of two campaigns with the Stars, first appearing in two games in 2018-19 before recording 16 points (6+10) in 46 games for Lincoln in 2019-20. He also played for the Bismarck Bobcats in the NAHL from 2020-22 before wrapping up his juniors career with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL in 2022-23.
Michaels was a 2023-24 NCHC Distinguished Athlete after recording 7 points (2+5) in 38 games as a freshman at Western Michigan. He has 16 points (10+6) in 20 games so far this season, including recording two different multi-goal games.
Ouellette is in his first year at Northern Michigan after two seasons at Niagara following a year of D-III hockey with Wisconsin Eau Claire. He is 4-17-1 this season with a 2.73 GAA and a .922 SV% over 22 games and has allowed three-goals-or-less 16 times.
Ouellette went 16-23-1-1 with a 3.55 GAA and an .880 SV% in 44 games with the Stars in 2020-21. He spent a full year in the USHL after splitting 2019-20 with the Tri-City Storm in the USHL and the Minnesota Wilderness in the NAHL.
Thompson was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft after playing parts of three seasons with the Stars. His finest campaign came in 2021-22 when Thompson totaled 82 points (24+58), the third-most points in a single season in franchise history while setting the single-season record for assists. He finished with 116 points (34+82) in 117 games from 2018-22.
Thompson helped Denver win the 2024 NCAA National Championship as a sophomore. He was named an NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and to the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team in each of his first two years with the Pioneers. Thompson has 29 points (13+16) in 22 games and has 91 points (34+57) in 98 games in his career.
Treloar suited up for the Stars in 2019-20 and recorded 49 points (14+35) in 48 games after spending parts of the previous two seasons with the Chicago Steel. He totaled 80 points (29+51) in 111 career USHL games.
Treloar went on to play three seasons at Ohio State before spending the last two campaigns with Quinnipiac. He has totaled 98 points (45+53) over 149 NCAA games, including 19 points (10+9) in 23 games this season as team captain with the Bobcats.
The top 10 finalists will be revealed on March 19 and the three Hobey Hat Trick finalists will be named on April 3 prior to the award presentation April 11 on NHL Network.
Fans can vote for their candidate at www.hobeybaker.com/vote. The second round of fan voting is Mar. 19-30.
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