Former Stars D-Man Nominated for Hobey Baker Award

Pittsburgh, PA - Former Esmark Stars standout defenseman Dustin Geregach has been nominated for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award.

The senior at Mercyhurst University skated for Esmark during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

During his two seasons with the Stars, Geregach would record 107 points (31 goals, 76 assists) and lead the U18 Stars to back-to-back USA Hockey National Championships appearances.

He would tender with the Johnstown Tomahawks of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), during his second season with the Stars, joining the NAHL club for the 2020-21 season. Geregach would record 36 points (6 goals and 30 assists) in 77 games played at Johnstown.

Midway through his second season, 2021-22, with the Tomahawks, Geregach signed a letter of commitment and jumped to Mercyhurst Univeristy to play NCAA Division I hockey.

Including the half season skated with the Lakers (’21-’22), the four-year starter has recorded 55 points (14 goals, 41 assists) to date in 110 games played for Mercyhurst to date.

The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award that recognizes the top men’s college (NCAA) hockey player in the United States. The award was established in 1981 and named after Hobey Baker, a Princeton University hockey and football player who died shortly after World War I.

There are three steps involved in the award’s selection process. First, the head coaches of NCAA DI ice hockey schools nominate the top three players in their respective leagues and the top three players in the nation. College hockey fans can also participate by voting on-line during this step. The top 10 finalists are then announced.

Next, voting begins for the “Hobey Hat Trick,” which narrows the award field from 10 finalists to three. The winner is then selected from this trio of players. The voting in this step of the process is by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Selection Committee. The committee is “a geographically balanced group of 29 individuals representing print and electronic sports media, college hockey coaches and officials, and NHL scouts.”

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner is announced during a nationally televised ceremony.

Stars fans are encouraged to vote for Geregach by visiting (https://hobeybaker.com/vote). Fans are allowed to vote once per day.