Michigan Hockey Sweeps Big Ten Awards

Wolverines earn top individual honors after standout regular season

Mar. 19, 2026 at 5:36am

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The Michigan hockey team had a banner day at the Big Ten awards, with senior forward T.J. Hughes named Big Ten Player of the Year and several other Wolverines earning all-conference honors. This recognition caps off a remarkable regular season for Michigan, which went from an unranked team expected to rebuild to the nation's top-ranked squad and a favorite to win the national championship.

Why it matters

Michigan's dominance this season, after being written off as a rebuilding team, has been one of the biggest stories in college hockey. The individual awards highlight the Wolverines' remarkable turnaround and the key contributors who have powered their rise to the top of the rankings.

The details

T.J. Hughes, Michigan's star senior forward, was named Big Ten Player of the Year after ranking third nationally in scoring with 50 points in 36 games. He was also named a Hobey Baker Award finalist, given to the top player in college hockey. Sophomore forward Michael Hage, senior defenseman Tyler Duke, and freshman goaltender Jack Ivankovic all earned second-team All-Big Ten honors, while Ivankovic was also named to the All-Freshman Team. Senior forward Josh Eernisse received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

  • The Big Ten announced its end-of-season awards on March 19, 2026.
  • Michigan clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship game and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament earlier in March 2026.

The players

T.J. Hughes

A senior forward for Michigan, Hughes was named Big Ten Player of the Year after ranking third nationally in scoring with 50 points in 36 games. He was also named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in college hockey.

Michael Hage

A sophomore forward for Michigan, Hage was named to the All-Big Ten second team.

Tyler Duke

A senior defenseman for Michigan, Duke was named to the All-Big Ten second team.

Jack Ivankovic

A freshman goaltender for Michigan, Ivankovic was named to the All-Big Ten second team and the All-Freshman Team.

Josh Eernisse

A senior forward for Michigan, Eernisse received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

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What they’re saying

“We've come a long way from where we were last year, for sure, at this time. I think we're just happy with the group that we have.”

— Kienan Draper, Senior forward

What’s next

The Wolverines will look to cap off their remarkable season by winning the national championship, which they haven't won since 1998. They are the joint odds-on favorite to win it all when the NCAA Tournament begins on April 11.

The takeaway

Michigan's sweep of the Big Ten's individual awards is a testament to the team's remarkable turnaround this season. After being written off as a rebuilding squad, the Wolverines have emerged as the nation's top-ranked team and a favorite to win their first national title in nearly three decades.