Hobey Baker - NCAA Championships_formats 05 9/16/11 3:40 PM Page 2
2000 HOBEY BAKER AWARD 2011-12 BOSTON COLLEGE HOCKEY
Mike Mottau (1996-2000) 2000 Hobey Baker Award
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n April 14, 2000, Mike Mottau was awarded the 20th annual Hobey Baker Award at the Decathlon Club in Bloomington, Minn. On that date, the nation came to know what those at Boston College had already known — that Mike Mottau was America’s best collegiate hockey player. Yet to those who knew Mottau best, the Hobey Baker Award was merely the culmination of a memorable collegiate car eer. Mottau was a three-time All-American, a three-time team MVP and a three-time All-Hockey East selection. As a senior , he captured Hockey East Co-Player of the Y ear honors and the league’ s Best Defensive Defenseman award. He’d established the Boston College car eer assist r ecord, surpassing 1991 Hobey Baker Award winner David Emma. He’d also set the school mark for points by a defenseman. Fur ther, he’d left his mark on the league’s record books, becoming the confer ence’s career leader in assists and points by a defenseman. Mottau also became just the four th player in history to captur e the prestigious Walter Brown Award twice. The awar d recognizes the most outstanding American-born hockey player in New England. In his four years at Boston College, he r epresented his country thr ee times in international competition. In 1998, he tallied two goals and two assists in the W orld Junior Championships in Finland. In 1999 and 2000, he par ticipated alongside pr ofessionals in the W orld Championships. Mottau tallied two goals and one assist in thr ee games in the 1999 tournament in Norway. The following year, he registered one assist in seven games in Russia. Still, Mottau’s individual achievements meant little to Mike himself. The rugged defenseman took greater pride in his team’s accomplishments. When Mottau entered Boston College in the fall of 1996, the Eagles had endured five consecutive losing seasons. In shor t time, Mottau and his teammates r eversed the pr ogram’s fortunes. In his four seasons, Boston College won an amazing 99 games. Befor e his graduation, he’d patr olled the blueline on two Hockey East T ournament championship teams and three teams that had advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Frozen Four. Twice the Eagles played in the national championship game. But Mottau’s value extended far beyond the 200’ x 87’ Kelley Rink ice surface. Head coach Jerry York is equally certain that Mottau also made his mark on others on the Chestnut Hill campus. “Mike was truly an ambassador for college hockey. He was an ambassador for the college student-athlete in Y2K,” Y ork said. “He had an exceptional presence on our campus — whether it was the dining hall or walking to class. “He was recognizable, and he had a certain charisma to him. I believe he’ll be remembered as one of the cornerstones of Boston College athletics. When you talk about a Doug Flutie, when you talk about a (former basketball star) Michael Adams, you’ve got to talk about Michael Mottau in that same breath. That’s the type of impact he had on Boston College hockey and Boston College athletics.” Mottau is currently a member of the New York Islanders.
10 HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT TITLES | 16 BEANPOT CHAMPIONSHIPS | 40 FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
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