April 10, 2009
FAIRBANKS, AK - For the first time in Alaska Nanook hockey history, two Alaska Nanooks earned All-American honors in the same season. Senior goalie and 2008-09 RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Year Chad Johnson (Calgary, AB) was named to the American Hockey Coaches Association West Second Team, while his classmate Trevor Hyatt (Anchorage, AK) was selected to the Lowe’s Senior CLASS All-Senior All-America Second Team.
Johnson becomes just the fourth player in the Nanooks' program history to earn the national honor, joining AHCA First Team All-American and former Alaska defenseman Tyler Eckford (2008), and AHCA Second-Team selections and forwards Dean Fedorchuk (1994) and Steve Moria (1985).
Although Johnson's collegiate career came to a close on March 21 during the third-place game of the CCHA Championships, his goaltending figures through 35 games held up as tops in NCAA Division I, with just the National Championship left to be played on Saturday between Boston University and CCHA-foe Miami.
With the best save percentage (.940) and goals-against average (1.66) in college hockey this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins' draft pick was among the top ten finalists for the Hobey Baker award and took home the CCHA Top Goalie and Player of the Year awards. He was named CCHA First Team All-Conference and was also the overall Perani Cup champion, being named a game star in 15 of 28 league contests.
Johnson makes Alaska hockey program history today as he is representing the Nanooks in Washington D.C. tonight during the Frozen Four Skills Challenge as one of two West Team goaltender.
Hyatt is the second Nanook in program history to be named a Lowe's Senior CLASS All-Senior Team, joining former center Curtis Fraser, who was a Second Team member in 2007.
The 5-9 left wing adds another notch to his already impressive list of 2008-09 accolades. In the fall of 2008, Hyatt was nominated for the Rhodes Scholar; in January he was announced as a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian award for the second consecutive season; last month he was selected as Alaska's CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the year for the third straight year, and was selected as the University of Alaska Fairbanks Civil Engineering Student of the Year; and last weekend at the Alaska hockey banquet was named the Dirk Anderson Scholar Athlete and the Ryan Reinheller Hockey Humanitarian.
In his four-year career with the Blue and Gold, Hyatt appeared in 115 games, scoring eight goals and eight assists. He was a part of Nanook squads that defeated five nationally ranked No. 1 teams, including Division I powerhouses, Minnesota, Michigan and NCAA Championship participant Miami. He was a stalwart on this season's penalty-killing unit, which finished eighth best in the country as well as a team defense that was the national runner up, allowing a meager 1.74 goals per game.
Hyatt will graduate next month with his degree in civil engineering, while Johnson will graduate with a degree in psychology and begin his professional hockey career next fall.
