THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Superior International Junior Hockey League alumnus Ryan Faragher is currently second overall in the online balloting phase for the Hobey Baker Award, which goes annually to the top player in U.S. college hockey.
The former SIJHL top goaltender award recipient back in 2008-09 while manning the nets for his hometown Fort Frances side is one of 68 hopefuls up for the accolades.
Currently in his junior year at St. Cloud State University he is just one win shy of moving into a share of second in all-time wins among Huskies goalies at 47.
Faragher has 46 victories in two and half seasons at St. Cloud and has the potential of setting the new school mark of 66 established by Brian Lietza from 1994-98.
He is in the top five in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in average, save mark and winning percentage.
The initial list of Hobey Baker candidates were determined by the head coaches of each NCAA Division I school who nominated the top three players in their respective leagues as well as the top three overall in the U.S.
Right up until March 9 fans have the opportunity to vote online for their Hobey Baker award choice to partly help determine the top 10, which will be announced on March 20.
As of 9 p.m. EST Thursday Faragher had amassed 15,183 votes, which was the second highest total behind defenceman Shayne Gotisbehere of the Union College Dutchmen, who had amassed 16,565 votes.
After that the final three will be decided upon on April 2 with the eventual winner being announced at the NCAA Frozen Four in Philadelphia on April 11.
Of the 68 nominees 22 of them, including Faragher, are alumnus of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
He is tops among CJHL alums in the online voting phase with only him and former Nepean Raiders (CCHL) D-man presently over the 10,000-vote plateau.
Fans can go vote once one a day for any one of the other 68 nominees for the award, by simply visiting www.hobeybaker.com and casting their ballot.
The following is the list of CJHL alumni up for the Hobey Baker Award along with the CJHL team and league they played for as well as their current NCAA school and current vote total.
| RANK | PLAYER | POS. | CJHL TEAM | LEAGUE | NCAA SCHOOL | CONFERENCE | VOTES |
| 1 | Ryan Faragher | G | Fort Frances | SIJHL | St. Cloud State | NCHC | 15,183 |
| 2 | Ben Hutton | D | Nepean | CCHL | Maine | Hockey East | 11,392 |
| 3 | Dillon Simpson | D | Spruce Grove | AJHL | North Dakota | NCHC | 4,014 |
| 4 | Devon Shore | F | Whitby | OJHL | Maine | Hockey East | 3,781 |
| 5 | Connor Jones | F | Vernon | BCHL | Quinnipiac | ECAC | 3,146 |
| 6 | Steve Weinstein | D | Vernon | BCHL | Bentley | Atlantic Hockey | 2,571 |
| 7 | Cody Kunyk | F | Sherwood Park | AJHL | Alaska-Fairbanks | WCHA | 2,382 |
| 8 | Greg Carey | F | Burlington | OJHL | St. Lawrence | ECAC | 1,900 |
| 9 | Kellen Jones | F | Vernon | BCHL | Quinnipiac | ECAC | 1,882 |
| 10 | Alex Grieve | F | Westside | BCHL | Bentley | Atlantic Hockey | 1,343 |
| 11 | Jimmy Sargeant | G | Newmarket | OJHL | Mercyhurst | Atlantic Hockey | 1,084 |
| 12 | Mike Collins | F | Vernon | BCHL | Merrimack | Hockey East | 869 |
| 13 | Matt Lorito | F | Villanova | OJHL | Brown | ECAC | 714 |
| 14 | Sam Brittain | G | Canmore | AJHL | Denver | NCHC | 678 |
| 15 | Matt Ginn | G | Victoria | BCHL | Holy Cross | Atlantic Hockey | 625 |
| 16 | Matt Zay | F | Pembroke | CCHL | Mercyhurst | Atlantic Hockey | 615 |
| 17 | Bryce Williamson | F | St. Albert | AJHL | Bowling Green | WCHA | 597 |
| 18 | Mario Pushkarich | F | Langley | BCHL | Vermont | Hockey East | 468 |
| 19 | Joel Rumpel | G | Penticton | BCHL | Wisconsin | BIG 10 | 392 |
| 20 | Brock Higgs | F | Kingston | OJHL | RPI | ECAC | 280 |
| 21 | Garrett Noonan | D | Vernon | BCHL | Boston University | Hockey East | 266 |
| 22 | Doug Carr | G | Cornwall | CCHL | Umass-Lowell | Hockey East | 209 |
