Five Warwick hockey players have been chosen as recipients of the seventh annual Hobey Baker High School Character Awards. Craig Colson of Bishop Hendricken, Dylan Legarie of Pilgrim, Ryan Charette of Toll Gate and Bill Burr of Warwick Vets will be honored on the boys’ side, while Pilgrim’s Casey McCormick won the award for the Warwick girls’ hockey co-op team.

The awards are presented annually to one player on each team in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League. They recognize and reward student-athletes for displaying exemplary character and sportsmanship in their schools and communities.

The Hobey Baker High School Character Award is an extension of the prestigious Hobey Baker Memorial Award given annually to the nation’s top collegiate ice hockey player. Hockey coaches from schools across the state have selected one member of their team to receive this honor.  Selected students exemplify the spirit, sportsmanship and Character represented by the collegiate award through their attitude, work ethic, unselfishness and “coachability.”

Hobey Baker was considered to be the greatest hockey player of his era and also the first American super star hockey player. At age 26, Baker died while piloting a newly repaired airplane in France. Ironically, his orders to return home were found tucked inside his jacket.

“The spirit of the 2013 Hobey Baker High School Character Award is to acknowledge that it takes more than hockey skill to develop great student – athletes and the development of exemplary Character and Sportsmanship in our high school hockey players is a vitally important aspect of the student-athlete experience,” said Joe Judge, R.I. State Director of the Hobey Baker Character Award Program. 

Assistant Director, Jack Judge added, “We are honored to participate in this important award and recognize these outstanding high school student hockey players in Rhode Island.”

“We are very grateful to the RI Interscholastic Hockey Coaches Association and the efforts of Jack Judge & Joe Judge to continue to make this award program a reality for Rhode Island,” said Dan Hoene of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation.  “The development and recognition of exemplary character and sportsmanship in our high school players is an extremely important aspect of the student-athlete experience. We believe that character builds excellence”.

The R.I. Boys and Girls Team High School Character Award Recipients will be recognized during the Providence Bruins Hockey games on March 3 and 10, 2013, respectively.

On March 20, 2013 at 3:45 p.m., the 2013 award recipients will be welcomed in the Rhode Island State House with introduction and individual recognition before the Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives, where they will receive citations from each body. That will be followed by a reception with Governor Lincoln Chafee.