Flyers Prospect Bobby Brink Named Hobey Baker Award Finalist

The Philadelphia Flyers could be on the ‘brink’ of a changing of the guard.

On Thursday, Claude Giroux is being lauded for 1,000 games with the organization. By Monday, he could be on his way to a new club, as part of a trade-deadline deal.

In the meantime, one of the club’s top prospects is earning acclaim for a brilliant college season.

On Wednesday, Bobby Brink was named as one of the top 10 finalists for the 2022 Hobey Baker Award. It’s top honor in NCAA men’s hockey.

Welcome to the Bobby Brink School of Passing and the Cole Guttman School of Shooting.

Pios still on the power play. pic.twitter.com/6zb8nlGJjr

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) March 13, 2022

Brink is now a junior at the University of Denver. He led the NCAA this season in both total points (55) and assists (41). The 20-year-old was selected 34th overall by the Flyers in the 2019 draft. He’s expected to turn pro at the end of this college season.

Meet Bobby Brink

Listed at 5’9″ and 161 pounds, Brink is a high-energy winger. He’s known for his strong playmaking skills and a nose for the net. Brink’s playing style draws comparisons to Cam Atkinson. And while his skating is not his strong suit, Brink’s puck skills and vigorous playing style still make him an effective forward.

A native of Minnetonka, Minnesota, Brink came up with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL. He also played a handful of games with the U.S. National Team Development Program at both the U17 and U18 levels.

As a member of Team USA, he won a bronze medal at the 2019 World U18 championship, then added gold at the 2021 World Junior Championship. Brink tallied six points in seven games for the victorious U.S. squad, and was named player of the game in Team USA’s 7-0 round-robin win over the Czech Republic.

Last month, Flyers’ assistant coach Brent Flahr told Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic that he has been following Brink since his time working with the Minnesota Wild.

“He’s working hard to get stronger and get quicker but at the same time, he’s just a rink rat,” Flahr said. “He’s a hockey player who loves to play the game, he loves to score. And he always finds ways. He adapts to whatever level he’s ever been at. I’ve watched him since he was (in) ninth grade. He’s a fun kid to watch.”

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Drafting Bobby Brink

The Flyers traded up for the opportunity to grab Brink early in the second round. They dealt the 45th and 65th picks to the Nashville Predators in exchange for pick No. 34.

Brink’s draft tree is quite complex. All three picks involved had previously been acquired through trades.

No. 34 originally belonged to the New Jersey Devils and was sent to the Predators as part of the P.K. Subban deal, early on Day 2 of the 2019 Draft. The Flyers had acquired No. 45 from Arizona on Day 1, when they traded down from No. 11 to No. 14 before selecting Cam York. Philadelphia acquired No. 65 from Edmonton at the 2018 trade deadline, in exchange for the rights to University of Michigan forward Cooper Marody, who is currently a member of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The Oilers acquired had acquired the pick a month earlier, as part of the trade that sent Patrick Maroon to the New Jersey Devils.

Brink’s Path Ahead

Denver finished out the NCAA regular season with an overall record of 27-8-1. In the NCHC, the Pioneers were 18-6-0-0-1-0, tied with first-place North Dakota with 53 points. Denver was ranked in the top 15 in the national men’s hockey poll for 18 weeks and finished ranked third in late February, behind Minnesota State and the University of Michigan.

The 2022 NCHC tournament runs this weekend at Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis. Denver will take on Minnesota-Duluth on Friday (4 p.m. ET), while North Dakota faces Western Michigan. The winners will square off in the championship game on Saturday, then the 16-team field for the Frozen Four will be announced on Sunday.

Regional qualifiers will be played in four cities over the weekend of March 24-27, then the Frozen Four will be played at TD Garden in Boston from April 7-9.

Brink’s college season will end as soon as Denver is eliminated, whenever that may be. It’s expected that he’ll sign his entry-level contract with the Flyers shortly afterward.

Because the 2021-22 NHL regular season runs until April, this year’s collegiate signings will get a larger window than usual to make their first impressions at the pro level, even on non-playoff teams. The Flyers will have 10 games remaining after the Frozen Four final on April 9.

Recent History Is On Brink’s Side

If the path of the 2021 Hobey Baker winner is any indication, Brink should be well-positioned to make this jump, even as an undersized player. Another member of the 2019 draft class, 5’7″ Cole Caufield turned pro immediately after his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin. He put up five points in his first 10 regular-season games with the Montreal Canadiens, then added another 12 points in 20 playoff games during the Canadiens’ Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Under new coach Martin St. Louis, Caufield has caught fire during his official rookie season. He’s now up to 11 goals and 27 points in 45 NHL games this year.

The top three finalists for the 2022 Hobey Baker Award will be named on March 31. The winner will be announced on April 8, during the Frozen Four festivities.