Gerbe Euphoria Sweeping the Nation

The Hockey News: Hot List is a weekly roundup of minor league, junior, college and high school players we’re excited to one day see in the NHL, appears every Tuesday, only on thehockeynews.com.

It should be no surpise to us who is #1:

1. Nathan Gerbe, C – Boston College Eagles (Hockey East): Gerbe has been absolutely tearing it up as of late, leading the conference in scoring with 37 points in 23 games. He led Hockey East in goals last year and is likely to do it again. Drafted 142nd overall by Buffalo in 2005


other NCAA'ers on the list include

6. Jeff Zatkoff, G, Miami (OH)
7. Billy Sauer, G, Michigan
10. TJ Oshie, F, North Dakota

BC 4, Maine 2

1/26/2008 - Orono, ME: Nathan Gerbe broke a mini scoring slump by netting the game winning goal against the University of Maine Black Bears on Saturday night, leading the Eagles to a tough 4-2 victory at the Alfond Arena.

Senior Matt Greene would ice the game with an ENG at the 19:44 mark.

Gerbe 4 Hobey Generating Buzz!

The first official press for the Gerbe Baker campaign appears on CSTV's rink rat blog, written by Elliot Olshanksy. He writes:

"It looks like I picked the right week to write a column about BC's Nathan Gerbe. We're a week removed from the launch of a Gerbe For Hobey blog, a day removed from Gerbe cracking the top three in our Hobey Watch and taking the lead on Inside College Hockey's Hobey Tracker, and a few hours removed from a great hue and cry from our good friend Chris Dilks over at Western College Hockey (and the UNH Men's Hockey Blog had its say as well)".

Olshanksy's aforementioned article is a worthy read. Titled "Learning Lessons Along The Way", it addresses the controversial topic that is sure to be played out over and over again until the award winner is announced - Nate's one game suspension earlier in the season imposed by league tyrant, Comissioner Joe Bertagna, after a game against Merrimack where Nate wasnt even whistled for a penalty.

The article includes some honest quotes from Nate and Coach Jerry York. It also poses the question: does this affect Nate's chances for the hobey baker:

"You have to look at what the suspension is for," said one former media voter. "If it's an on-ice suspension, I don't think it should weigh as much as somebody getting suspended for something off the ice. I think you have a player like Gerbe, who gets suspended for an on-ice incident, I don't think that should factor in. It's part of the game, and he learned his lesson.

I guess that means we can rule out a certain someone, who clearly won't be winning.

Weekly Hobey Baker watch

Week 14

Kevin Porter remains the CSTV unanimous choice for the Hobey Baker award, Gerbe holds down the fort in second.

However, our favorite site, Inside College Hockey continues to list Gerbe atop the Hobey Baker big board; but acknowledges that Porter is closing the gap.

It really seems to be a 2 person race at this point. Ryan Jones would be a good choice for #3; but the other front runners - Peter Mannino, Ryan Lasch, and Chad Rau are slipping off the pace

INCH Hobey Baker Watch

Gerbe stays atop the Inside College Hockey.com Hobey Baker Big Board for the second week in a row.

THE BIG BOARD

Hobey Baker Watch

More Player of the Month Honors for Gerbe

CCM / RBK Hockey Player of the Month
Nathan Gerbe – Boston College
Junior Forward; Oxford, Mich.

Gerbe recorded 16 points (7g,9a) in leading Boston College to a 4-0-0 month of December. Of his seven goals, three were scored on the power play and one was scored in a shorthanded situation. Gerbe registered a plus/minus rating of +10 in the four-game month of December. He earned Dodge Holiday Classic Most Valuable Player honors with his seven-point effort (2g,5a) in two games in Minneapolis. Additionally, he totaled a career-high four goals and five points in the team’s road win at No. 15 Harvard on December 12.

Press Release

Gerbe Named National Player of the Month of December

Farmington Hills, Mich.— Boston College junior forward Nathan Gerbe, who powered the Eagles to an unblemished 4-0-0 record with a dynamic 16-point performance, is a unanimous choice as the Hockey Commissioners’ Association National Division I Player of the Month for December.

Gerbe, a 20-year old from Oxford, Mich., leads the nation in points-per-game average (1.75) and stands second in goals-per-game average (0.94). The 5-foot-5, 165-pound product of USA Hockey’s NTDP produced seven goals and nine assists in just four games, all on the road, while boasting a +10 rating for the Eagles, who improved to 8-4-5 on the season while ascending to a No. 11 ranking in the national polls.

Gerbe, a fifth-round NHL draft pick by Buffalo in 2005 who was twice named Hockey East’s Player of the Week in December, began the month with a goal and three assists in a 4-3 win over cross-town rival Boston University. One week later he fi red a career-high four goals and added an assist in a 7-2 victory at Harvard. Following the holiday break, Gerbe earned MVP honors at the Dodge Holiday Classic in Minneapolis with a seven-point performance that included a goal and three assists in an 8-2 win over Air Force followed by a goal and two helpers in a 6-0 championship game decision over RIT.

Hockey East Online - Press Release

Getting to know Gerbe, Part I

International Man of Mystery, Nate Gerbe, interviewed during the 2007 World Junior Championships in Sweden. The US would win bronze.



(Gerbe for Hobey apologizes for the lack of on-staff translator. Please stick with us through the first 25 seconds.. the rest of the interview is in english. We promise)

BC 5, Vermont 2

January 11, 2008 - Nathan Gerbe netted the game winning goal at 4:10 of the second period, and earlier added an assist to give the red hot Eagles another win, and weekend sweep, over the visiting University of Vermont 5-2 (box) on Friday night at Conte Forum.

Gerbe's tally was his 18th of the season, good for second in the nation. The goal came on the powerplay with the score tied 2-2. Assisting on the play was freshman sensation, Joe Whitney (1 goal, 2 assists); the assists were Whitney's 21st and 22nd of the season, also good for second in the nation.

The goal came at an important time for the Eagles, who surged to an early 2 goal lead at 6:58 of the first period only to see a rejuvenated Vermont team equalize before intermission with 2 goals in 90 seconds at 11:11 (4 on 4) and 12:29 (4 on 3). BC had already watched 4 multi goal leads erased on the season (0-3-1), including one to Vermont early on in October. With Kyle Medvec in the box for hitting from behind, Gerbe made a dazzling cut off the end boards and found the five hole of the usually unflappable Joe Fallon (35 saves).

Joe Whitney had opened the game's scoring at 1:35 of the first period, in what would turn out to be the only even strength goal of the game (assists to Kunes and Ferriero). The goal marked the 15th time in 20 games that the Eagles have scored first (9-3-3). BC would increase their lead a few minutes later on the penalty kill. With Ben Smith in the box for delay of game, Gerbe broke out along the boards near the BC bench, carried deep into the UVM zone, and eventually found Brock Bradford in the slot. Bradford, who had missed 17 games with a broken arm sustained very early in the first game of the season, chipped the puck over Fallon's shoulder for his second goal in as many games.

UVM would tie the game on goals from Dean Strong (3) and Jack Downing (5), before BC broke the game open in the second with the goal by Gerbe and another by team captain, Mike Brennan (2). Brennan put home his 6th career goal at 14:32 of the second period during a 4 on 4 situation, while most fans were distracted by Nick Petrecki taking exception to Corey Carlson's collision with goaltender John Muse (17 saves) at the other end. Bradford then ultimately put the game out of reach, by scoring again, at 16:50 of the third period, this time on the power play. The goal, from Ferriero and Whitney, was his third of the year.

The win improves the Eagles to 10-5-5 (6-3-4 in conference), including a 4-2-3 mark at home. Meanwhile, Vermont drops to 4-9-5 (3-5-3 in conference). BC resumes action on January 18th against the usptart University of Massachusetts - Lowell.

Voting Begins!

From your lips to God's ear, or so they say. One day after the initial kickoff of "Gerbe for Hobey 2008", the vote for hobey website opens up its polls to the public:

Vote: Gerbe for Hobey

Nate is currently in second trailing only Kevin Porter of Michigan (but by quite a wide margin). So get your votes in early and often.

Kevin Porter is currently the unanimous favorite for the award based on the CSTV.com panel of "experts".

Make no mistake, Porter is having a special season; but this same panel did not even list Gerbe in their top 10 two weeks ago.

CSTV currently gets a big 2 thumbs down from the Gerbe for Hobey Blog.

Contrarily, InsideCollegeHockey.com lists Nate as the new leader in the race. As such, INCH gets a big 2 thumbs up from this blog.

The CSTV panel consists of Dave Starman, CSTV; Matt McConnell, CSTV; Jim Paradise, CSTV; Ben Holden, CSTV; Elliot Olshansky, CSTV.com; Adam Wodon, College Hockey News; Bob Snow, NHL.com; DJ Powers, Hockey's Future; Todd Milewski, Capital Times; Ken Schott, Schenectady Gazette

Feel free to make your voices heard! and don't forget to catch Nate in action at Conte Forum as the Eagles take on the Catamounts from the University of Vermont, tonight at 7 pm.

The Campaign Begins

Greetings sports fans.... with all due apologies for its tardiness, the official "Gerbe for Hobey" campaign begins today. Welcome to the campaign headquarters!

Many of you are probably asking yourself some questions like: who is Nathan Gerbe? what is the Hobey Baker? is he running against Hillary Clinton? and what can *I* possibly do to help? These are all important questions and we will answer them, and some others, one at a time.

The What:

The Hobey Baker award is college hockey's version of the Heisman Trophy. It is awarded every year to the nation's best player. The official website states the following as criteria for the award:

1. Candidates must exhibit strength of character both on and off the ice.



2. Candidates must contribute to the integrity of the team and display outstanding skills in all phases of the game.



3. Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and sportsmanship.



4. Candidates must comply with all NCAA rules: be full time students in an accredited NCAA college or university; and complete 50% or more of the season.

The When:
The trophy presentation will be held on April 11, 2008

The Where:

The trophy is awarded annually at the frozen four. The 2008 Frozen Four is in Denver, Colorado at the Pepsi Center - April 10th through April 12th

The Why(s):

Why do they award the Hobey Baker? I really can't say... Why should you help decide who wins the award? Simply because it is your God given (and forcefully defended) right to vote for anything that can be voted on... But most importantly, Why should you vote for Nathan Gerbe?

well...

did he just fall over? - April 6, 2006: Much to the chagrin of Barry Melrose, UND defenseman Matt Smaby trips in awe of, freshman sensation, Nathan Gerbe.

The How:

Every head hockey coach at an accredited Division I NCAA school receives one ballot. Coaches are asked to pick the top three players in their league and the top three players in the nation (two separate rankings, three players each; a player may be listed in both places, and a coach can vote for his own player).

Coaches from 58 schools receive a ballot. Those ballots, along with Vote for Hobey's Preliminary Voting results, are tabulated by an accounting firm to determine the 10 finalists.

This top ten advances to the Selection Committee, which decides the eventual winner from the top ten.

ok, ok... right now you are saying "this is all well and good, and Nate Gerbe clearly deserves the Hobey, but what can I do to help?" I'm glad you asked. Fan balloting occurs at the vote for hobey site (conveniently linked below), your vote actually plays a role in determining the final 10 - so stay tuned to your official campaign headquarters until the voting period begins.

www.hobeybaker.com/voting


The Who:

Who usually comes first, but we saved the best for last. So finally, the $64,000 question - Just who is Nathan Gerbe?

from www.BCeagles.com - born July 24, 1987 ... shoots left ... participated in the Buffalo Sabres Development Camp in 2007 ... has extensive international experience ... traveled overseas with the U.S. National Team that placed third at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championships in Leksand and Mora, Sweden; played in all seven games and finished tied for first on the team (with Erik Johnson) in assists with six ... was a member of the U.S. National Team that finished fourth at the 2006 IIHF World Junior Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia ... has twice participated in the U.S. National Junior Team Evaluation Camp; traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y. in August of 2005 and August of 2006 ... graduated from Huron (Mich.) High School in 2005 ... played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons with the U.S. National Under-18 Team in Ann Arbor, Mich.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2006-07): Played in 41 games; missed the Eagles' game at Northeastern (1/5) while playing with Team USA at the 2007 World Junior Championships ... earned All-Hockey East second-team accolades and All-New England first-team recognition ... gained All-Tournament honors at the NCAA Tournament's Frozen Four in St. Louis, Mo. ... shared the James E. Tiernan Memorial Award with Brock Bradford as the program's Most Improved Players ... earned Hockey East Player of the Month honors in February ... registered 47 points - 25 goals and 22 assists ... ranked among the nation's leaders in several offensive categories - goals per game (0.61; 11th), shorthanded goals (five; tied-second), game-winning goals (six; tied-third) and power-play goals (nine; tied-16th) ... recorded 28 points - 16 goals and 12 assists - in 26 league games; led all Hockey East players in goals per game (0.62) ... finished the season ranked fourth on the team with a plus-18 rating; earned a plus-10 rating in conference contests ... tallied at least one point in 30 games, including a season-long 11-game point-scoring streak (2/13-3/25) ... enjoyed 12 multiple-point efforts, including two three-point games and one four-point performance ... scored two goals in each of four games ... registered 14 points - four goals and 10 assists - in eight post-season games ... tallied a game-high four points - two third-period goals and two assists - in the team's 6-4 victory over North Dakota (4/5) in the NCAA Tournament's semifinal round in St. Louis, Mo. ... earned Hockey East Player of the Week honors after two stellar efforts against Maine; notched two goals and one assist in a 5-2 home win over the Black Bears (2/15), then tallied one goal and two assists in a 6-5 home victory the following night ... scored two goals in a 3-0 win at Wisconsin (10/27); netted a 6 x 4 shorthanded goal in the first period then doubled the team's lead late in the final frame ... assisted on all three BC goals in 3-0 home win over Northeastern (3/8) in the first game of the quarterfinal series of the Hockey East Tournament.

AS A FRESHMAN (2005-06): Played in 39 games, including 26 Hockey East contests; missed two games while playing with Team USA in the 2006 World Junior Championship ... earned Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 15 ... registered 18 points - 11 goals and seven assists; recorded 12 points - seven goals and five assists - in league action ... enjoyed three multiple-point games, including two multiple-goal efforts ... scored two game-winning goals, two power-play goals, one shorthanded goal and one empty-net goal ... tallied his first collegiate points - one goal and one assist - in a season-opening victory at Bowling Green (10/15); assisted on Chris Collins' power-play goal early in the first period, then scored his first collegiate goal at 12:47 of the third period ... scored both goals in the team's 2-1 win at Vermont (11/13); netted BC's first goal in the second period, then tallied the decisive score at 14:50 of the third period ... notched two goals, including one shorthanded goal in the first period, in a 7-0 home win over Massachusetts (12/9) ... scored a highlight-reel goal - the gamewinner - against North Dakota (4/6) in the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee, Wis. ... assisted on Brock Bradford's game-winning goal late in the third period of a 3-2 home win over Providence (10/29) ... tallied an assist on Dan Bertram's decisive goal in the team's 3-0 home win over Merrimack (11/26).

BEFORE BC: Played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program ... registered 29 points - 13 goals and 16 assists - in 38 games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team in 2004-05 ... scored four power-play goals, three game-winning goals and one shorthanded goal ... played for head coach Ron Rolston ... played 25 regular-season games for the USHL's Omaha Lancers in 2002-03; was the youngest player in the league ... was a member of the U.S. National Under-18 Team that captured the gold medal at the 2005 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Plzen, Czech Republic; registered four goals and four assists in six tournament games ... was also on the Under-18 Team than earned the silver medal at the 2004 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in Minsk, Belarus.

PERSONAL: Enrolled as a communications major in the College of Arts & Sciences ... is the 2007-08 recipient of the Driscoll Family Hockey Scholarship ... was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round (145th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft .... Nathan is the youngest of Terrie and Joe Gerbe's six children.

Nate Gerbe Profile - BCeagles.com