Men's Ice Hockey

Blake Pietila Named a Finalist for Richter Award

The Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) has announced the three finalists for this year’s Mike Richter Award and Michigan Tech senior Blake Pietila has been selected by a panel of voters from across the hockey community. The award is given annually to the top goalie in men’s NCAA Division I hockey since 2014.

Pietila (Howell, Mich.) has started 35 games for the 10th-ranked Huskies this season and is 23-9-3 overall with a 1.96 goals-against average, and a .931 save percentage. He holds the Michigan Tech single-season shutout record with 10 and career shutout record with 20. The national leader in shutouts, he is second in wins and save percentage, fourth in goals-against average and fifth in minutes played (2055:17). Michigan Tech ranks third nationally in penalty-killing percentage (86.7) and in scoring defense (2.10).

In 24 CCHA games, Pietila went 14-7-3 with a 2.02 goals against average and a .929 save percentage with six shutouts. He led the league in save percentage and shutouts, while ranking second in goals-against average and third in total saves (625).

A three-time semifinalist, Pietila is also a Hobey Baker candidate for the third season in a row and was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Month for October, January and February, the CCHA Goaltender of the Week seven times, and the Most Valuable Player of the Desert Hockey Classic.

2023 Mike Richter Award Finalists

Devon Levi, Northeastern (Hockey East)** # @ Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey)** # Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech (CCHA)**

**2022 Semifinalist; #2022 Finalist; @2022 Winner

The winner of this year’s Mike Richter Award will be announced in April during the NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa. Last year’s recipient, Devon Levi of Northeastern, is again a finalist. Three different NCAA Division I conferences are represented, including ECAC Hockey and Hockey East and the CCHA.

Past Richter Award Recipients: 2014 - Connor Hellebuyck, UMass Lowell; 2015 - Zane McIntyre, North Dakota; 2016 - Thatcher Demko, Boston College; 2017 - Tanner Jaillet, Denver; 2018 - Cale Morris, Notre Dame; 2019 - Cayden Primeau, Northeastern; 2020 - Jeremy Swayman, Maine; 2021 - Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota; 2022 - Devon Levi, Northeastern.