Hughes Captures B1G Hockey Player of the Year Honors
3/18/2026 12:30:00 PM | Ice Hockey
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- University of Michigan ice hockey standout T.J. Hughes was named Big Ten Player of the Year, highlighting the Wolverines' list of all-conference honorees announced live Wednesday (March 18) on Big Ten Network.
Hughes earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition, while sophomore Michael Hage, senior Tyler Duke and freshman Jack Ivankovic were named to the second team. Ivankovic also collected All-Freshman Team honors, and Josh Eernisse was recognized with the conference's Sportsmanship Award.
Hughes leads Michigan in scoring and ranks third nationally with 50 points in 36 games, averaging 1.39 points per contest. The captain has tallied 19 goals -- including five on the power play and three game-winners -- along with 31 assists. A +12 on the year, he has recorded points in 29 games, including a 10-game streak, and has 16 multi-point performances. A four-time All-Big Ten selection, Hughes is the conference's all-time leading scorer with 108 points in league play, holding the assist record (64) and ranking second in goals (44).
He has consistently produced against conference opponents, totaling 25 points in 19 games against Penn State, 21 points each versus Michigan State and Wisconsin, and 20 points against both Notre Dame and Ohio State. He carries an active 13-game point streak against Penn State, has points in 15 of 18 career games against Michigan State and has scored in five straight contests versus Minnesota.
Hughes becomes Michigan's third Big Ten Player of the Year, joining Kyle Connor (2016) and Gavin Brindley (2024). He is the first senior to ever win the award.
A first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2024, Hage ranks among the nation's leaders with 37 assists and has added 13 goals for 50 points in 36 games, matching Hughes for the team lead (1.39 points per game). The 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year recorded 25 points in 24 conference games and has added five more in the Big Ten Tournament, including a four-assist effort in the quarterfinals against Notre Dame. Hage has posted points in 27 games, including 14 multi-point outings, and carries a +14 rating. He also earned all-star honors at the World Junior Championship, where he helped Team Canada win gold.
Duke enters the Big Ten Championship ranked second as the nation's top defensemen in plus/minus at five-on-five and sits tied for third overall among blueliners. According to Sportlogiq, he led Big Ten defensemen in expected goal differential (66 percent) at five-on-five. The Strongsville, Ohio, native also ranked near the top of the league in goals allowed while on the ice and led in shot differential among defensemen with significant minutes. He logged the fifth-most minutes among Big Ten defensemen during the regular season and contributed 17 points (two goals, 15 assists) along with 48 blocked shots.
A finalist for the Mike Richter Award, Ivankovic opened his career by backstopping Michigan to the best defensive start in program history, going 7-0 -- the first Wolverine goaltender to do so since Paul Fricker in 1979. He owns a 22-7-1 record with three shutouts, 25 quality starts, a .924 save percentage and a 2.11 goals-against average. Ivankovic earned national Goaltender of the Month honors in December before helping his country to a bronze medal at the World Junior Championship. An injury in mid-January sidelined him for five conference games.
Eernisse has totaled 18 points as a senior, including 10 goals and eight assists, and ranks second nationally with three short-handed goals. He also has three game-winning goals. Off the ice, Eernisse is active in leadership and service roles, including participation in Michigan's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Big Ten SAAC, and the Student-Athlete Issues Committee. He is involved with the Michigan Athletics Career Center subcommittee, the Athletes in Real Estate Club, Team Impact and volunteers at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.
2025-26 All-Big Ten Hockey Team and Individual Awards
As selected by Big Ten coaches and Media Voting Panel
FIRST TEAM
F - T.J. Hughes, Sr., Michigan
F - Porter Martone, Fr., Michigan State
F - Charlie Stramel, Sr., Michigan State
D - Matt Basgall, Sr., Michigan State
D - Ben Dexheimer, Sr., Wisconsin
G - Trey Augustine, Jr., Michigan State
SECOND TEAM
F - Michael Hage, So., Michigan
F - Brodie Ziemer, So., Minnesota
F - Gavin McKenna, Fr., Penn State
D - Tyler Duke, Sr., MichiganÂ
D - Jackson Smith, Fr., Penn State
G - Jack Ivankovic, Fr., Michigan
HONORABLE MENTION
F - Daniel Russell, Sr., Michigan State
F - Danny Nelson, Jr., Notre Dame
F - Matt DiMarsico, Jr., Penn StateÂ
F - Aiden Fink, Jr., Penn State
D - Luke Mittelstadt, Sr., MinnesotaÂ
D - Paul Fischer, Jr., Notre Dame
D - Jarod Crespo, Sr., Penn State
D - Luke Osburn, Fr., Wisconsin
G - Josh Fleming, Fr., Penn State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
F - Porter Martone, Fr., Michigan State
F - Jake Karabela, Fr., Ohio State
F - Gavin McKenna, Fr., Penn State +
D - Jackson Smith, Fr., Penn State
D - Luke Osburn, Fr., Wisconsin
G - Jack Ivankovic, Fr., Michigan
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS
Josh Eernisse, Sr., F, Michigan
Matt Basgall, Sr., D, Michigan State
Brody Lamb, Sr., F, Minnesota
Evan Werner, Jr., F, Notre Dame
James Hong, So., F, Ohio State
Jarod Crespo, Sr., D, Penn State
Ben Dexheimer, Sr., D, Wisconsin
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
T.J. Hughes, Sr., F, MichiganÂ
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Matt Basgall, Sr., D, Michigan StateÂ
GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR
Trey Augustine, Jr., G, Michigan StateÂ
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Gavin McKenna, Fr., F, Penn StateÂ
COACH OF THE YEAR
Adam Nightingale, Michigan State
SCORING CHAMPION
Gavin McKenna, Fr., F, Penn State (38 points)
+ unanimous selection
