OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Fifteen of the top NCAA men's ice hockey student-athletes, who excel both on and off the ice, have been selected as candidates for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award®. Included in that group is UND senior captain Jordan Kawaguchi, who returned after a Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist season a year ago, to complete his studies and compete to defend North Dakota's NCHC Penrose Cup and vie for a national championship this season. 

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Kawaguchi was selected as the team's captain in the offseason after deciding to forgo NHL free agency offers and finish his college eligibility. He was the USCHO.com Player of the Year last season and was in the final three for the Hobey Baker Award, the nation's top player. This season, he's continued to keep North Dakota atop the NCHC standings, leading the conference in assists (16) and providing a consistent and clutch scoring punch both on UND's top line and on its first power play unit. 

The 15 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later this month. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2021 NCAA Men's Frozen Final Four® in April.

Hockey 2020-21 Senior CLASS Candidates