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Zane McIntyre of North Dakota named winner of 2015 Mike Richter Award

By Kevin Kurtt., Let's Play Hockey, 04/13/15, 12:15PM CDT

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BOSTON — Junior Zane McIntyre of the University of North Dakota has been named the winner of the 2015 Mike Richter Award as the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men’s hockey. McIntyre was presented with the award by Mike Richter at a press conference today at TD Garden in Boston, site of the 2015 NCAA Frozen Four.

The Mike Richter Award is co-sponsored by Let’s Play Hockey and the Herb Brooks Foundation.


Zane McIntyre, left, was presented the Mike Richter Award at the 2015 Frozen Four in Boston. Photo: Eric Hylden, Forum News Service

A native of Thief River Falls, Minn., McIntyre posted a 29-10-3 record and played in all but 43 minutes this season in backstopping UND to its second consecutive NCAA Frozen Four. His 29 wins led the nation and were one short of a new North Dakota single-season record. McIntyre was the NCHC Goaltender of the Year, a member of the NCHC All-Conference First Team and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

McIntyre led the nation in wins, games played (42) and minutes (2493:21), and ranked second in saves (1,111), sixth in winning percentage (.726), 11th in save percentage (.929), and 16th in goals-against average (2.05). In helping North Dakota to the NCHC regular season title and the NCAA West Regional Championship, McIntyre posted a .930 or better save percentage in 23 games this season and was 11-2-3 in one-goal contests. He had 15 games with 30 or more saves, including a 43-save effort in a 2-1 win at Miami on March 6.

A sixth-round pick (165th overall) of the Boston Bruins in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, McIntyre is UND’s all-time leader in career goals-against average (2.10) and save percentage (.926). He also ranks third all-time in wins (58), sixth in appearances (92), seventh in  winning percentage (.687) and saves (2,384), and tied for ninth in shutouts (4) after pitching one this season.

A two-time selection to the Academic All-NCHC Team, McIntyre is a psychology major at UND and owns a GPA of 3.26. Actively involved in the community, McIntyre has devoted more than 40 hours of his time to various organizations, including Special Olympics, Grand Forks Youth Hockey Association, Westside Elementary, Thief River Falls Elementary and more.

After a standout prep career at Thief River Falls High School, McIntyre was named the winner of the 2010 Frank Brimsek Award, honoring the top senior goaltender in Minnesota high school hockey. He next played two seasons in the USHL with the Fargo Force, earning the league’s 2011-12 co-Goaltender of the Year Award. During his time in Fargo, McIntyre posted a 40-24-4 record with a 2.22 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and nine shutouts. He also won gold and bronze medals at the 2010 and 2011 World Junior A Challenges.

The other finalists for the 2015 Mike Richter Award were Kyle Hayton of St. Lawrence, Jake Hildebrand of Michigan State, Alex Lyon of Yale and Jamie Phillips of Michigan Tech.

Candidates for the Mike Richter Award were determined by nominations from all 59 NCAA Division I men’s hockey head coaches. The finalists and winner were selected by a committee of coaches, scouts and members of the media.

Criteria for the Mike Richter Award:

- Candidates must display outstanding skills on the ice

- Candidates should be in good academic standing at an NCAA college or university

- Consideration should be given to academic achievement and sportsmanship

- Candidates must comply with all NCAA rules; be full-time students at an NCAA college or university; and complete 50 percent or more of the season

- Consideration should be given to the candidate’s activities in the community

The inaugural winner of the Mike Richter Award was Connor Hellebuyck of UMass Lowell, now the top goalie for the AHL’s St. John’s Ice Caps.

About Let’s Play Hockey: In its 43rd season and based in the Twin Cities, Let’s Play Hockey is the longest-running hockey newspaper in the U.S., serving the largest hockey market in the nation. Let’s Play Hockey is published 29 times a year – weekly during the hockey season and monthly during the offseason.

About the Herb Brooks Foundation: The Herb Brooks Foundation is dedicated to growing the game of hockey and giving the game back to the kids. Founded in 2003 by Dan Brooks and Kelly Brooks Paradise, Herb’s family and friends created the foundation to preserve his legacy by continuing his life’s work by growing the game by “making hockey fun for kids and letting them learn to love the game the way we did.”