Bordeleau, York Named B1G Rookie, Defenseman of Year to Lead U-M Honorees
3/16/2021 2:30:00 PM | Ice Hockey
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- University of Michigan sophomore Cam York was named the Big Ten Defenseman of the Year and Thomas Bordeleau claimed Freshman of the Year it was announced Tuesday (March 16).
York was named first team All-Big Ten while Bordeleau was named second team along with fellow Freshman of the Year finalist Owen Power and Goaltender of the Year finalist Strauss Mann. Matty Beniers, Kent Johnson and Nick Blankenburg claimed honorable mention nods.
Michigan was all over the All-Freshman Team, taking four of six spots: Beniers, Bordeleau, Johnson and Power. It is the most freshmen from one school on the all-rookie team in Big Ten history.
York leads the Big Ten in defenseman scoring with 20 points on four goals and 16 assists. Five of his 20 points came on the power play, while four of his assists set up game-winning goals. The Philadelphia Flyers draft pick is a +13 and blocked 32 shots. York keyed the sixth-best scoring defense in the nation, limiting opponents to 1.96 goals per game. York is the first Wolverine to be named Defensive Player of the Year since Zach Werenski in 2016.
Bordeleau leads the nation's rookies in scoring with 30 points, netting eight goals and 22 assists. He scored three game winners, and had assists on four other game winners. A +18, Bordeleau leads the league in faceoff wins (211), winning 58 percent. The San Jose Sharks draft pick had points in 19 games and had a 10-game point-scoring streak between Jan. 8 and Feb. 14 when he had 14 points. Bordeleau joins a select group of Wolverines to earn Freshman of the Year, which includes JT Compher in 2014, Dylan Larkin in 2015 and Kyle Connor in 2016.
A finalist for Freshman of the Year, Power is the top-scoring rookie defenseman in the league with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) and a unanimous selection for the All-Rookie Team and earned a spot on the All-Big Ten second team. He was third overall in defenseman scoring, while being on the ice for 31 goals with a +18 rating. He has blocked 40 total shots, took just three penalties and helped to hold opponents to a stingy 1.96 goals per game as part of the sixth-best scoring defense in the country.
A finalist for Goaltender of the Year and a second-team All-Big Ten selection, Mann owns a .930 save percentage and a 1.89 goals-against average, ranking in the top 10 nationally in both categories. The co-captain led the league and was second in the nation in shutouts (five) and now has 11 in his career -- the fourth most in Michigan history.
Junior alternate captain Blankenburg earned his second consecutive All-Bg Ten honorable mention. He had the best on-ice rating among the league's defensemen with a +19 and was fifth in the league in points for a defenseman with 13. Blankenburg was fifth overall in scoring for Michigan with five goals and eight assists.
Freshman Beniers has 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points, posting points in 15 games with six multiple-point games including a hat trick against Arizona State (Feb. 26) and a four-point game at Minnesota (March 5). He leads the league in on-ice rating with a +21 and won 45 percent of his faceoffs. Beniers is fourth in the nation in rookie points per game at 1.00
Third in the nation in points per game for a rookie at 1.04, Johnson has 27 points on nine goals and 18 assists. He is second on the team in scoring overall and led the team in power-play goals with three. Johnson had points in 17 of his 26 games highlighted by a five-point game versus Michigan State (Jan. 8).
Michigan's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree was senior captain Jack Becker, who has scored four goals and five assists this season.
Additionally, Wolverine head coach Mel Pearson was a finalist for Coach of the Year.
Michigan is ranked No. 7 in the USCHO poll and finished third in the Big Ten standings. Michigan reached the Big Ten semifinals, falling in overtime to No. 2 seed and fourth-ranked Minnesota on Monday night (March 15). The Wolverines await their NCAA fate when the tournament selections are announced on Sunday (March 21).
2020-21 All-Big Ten Hockey Team and Individual Awards
As selected by Big Ten coaches and Media Voting Panel
(Unanimous selection in ALL CAPS)
FIRST TEAM
Sampo Ranta, F, Minnesota
COLE CAUFIELD, F, WISCONSIN
Dylan Holloway, F, Wisconsin
Cam York, D, Michigan
Jackson LaCombe, D, Minnesota
Jack LaFontaine, G, Minnesota
SECOND TEAM
Thomas Bordeleau, F, Michigan
Alex Steeves, F, Notre Dame
Linus Weissbach, F, Wisconsin
Owen Power, D, Michigan
Spencer Stastney, D, Notre Dame
Strauss Mann, G, Michigan
HONORABLE MENTION
Matty Beniers, F, Michigan
Kent Johnson, F, Michigan
Ben Myers, F, Minnesota
Scott Reedy, F, Minnesota
Sammy Walker, F, Minnesota
Alex Limoges, F, Penn State
Ty Pelton-Byce, F, Wisconsin
Nick Blankenburg, D, Michigan
Dennis Cesana, D, Michigan State
Brock Faber, D, Minnesota
Ryan Johnson, D, Minnesota
Ty Emberson, D, Wisconsin
Drew DeRidder, G, Michigan State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Matty Beniers, F, Michigan
THOMAS BORDELEAU, F, MICHIGAN
Kent Johnson, F, Michigan
OWEN POWER, D, MICHIGAN
Brock Faber, D, Minnesota
Cameron Rowe, G, Wisconsin
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: COLE CAUFIELD, F, WISCONSIN
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Defenseman or Forward): Cam York, D, Michigan
GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR: Jack LaFontaine, G, Minnesota
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Thomas Bordeleau, F, Michigan
COACH OF THE YEAR: Tony Granato, Wisconsin
SCORING CHAMPION: Cole Caufield, F, Wisconsin
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES: Jack Becker, Michigan; Tommy Miller, Michigan State; Cullen Munson, Minnesota; Matt Hellickson, Notre Dame; Austin Pooley, Ohio State; Oskar Autio, Penn State; Brock Caufield, Wisconsin.
