Top 2023 Draft Prospect Snubbed of Major NCAA Honor
This might be one of the biggest award snubs we have ever seen.
The NCAA's Big-10 conference named Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies as Big-10 Player of the Year over University of Michigan F Adam Fantilli (2023).
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐧 (and the country tbh)@Matthew_Knies is your 2022-23 B1G Player of the Year! ⭐#PrideOnIce pic.twitter.com/AxSMdoUJVL— Minnesota Men's Hockey (@GopherHockey) March 14, 2023
No disrespect to Knies, that is not why we are here. The future Maple Leaf had a fine season and under normal circumstances would make a suitable recipient of this honor.
The 2022-23 season - however - was anything but ordinary. Draft-eligible pivot Adam Fantilli had a historic season and absolutely smashed Knies' points total.
Knies - 35 GP: 21g-19a-40pts (1.14 p/gm)
Fantilli - 32 GP: 27g-33a-60pts (1.88 p/gm)
Fantilli is having the 15th-best freshman season EVER and still has the Big-10 tournament and the NCAA tournament left to play.
The 2nd-ranked draft prospect in the upcoming draft (behind - guess who - Connor Bedard), Fantilli ranks 1st in scoring in the entire NCAA - as a freshman. Knies, a sophomore, ranks 3rd on his own line at the University of Minnesota behind Logan Cooley (ARI) and Jimmy Snuggerud (STL).
What more do I even have to say?
Matthew Knies took home B1G Ten Player of the Year honours over Adam Fantilli.
Fantilli: 27G, 60PTS in 32GP
Knies: 21G, 40PTS in 35GP
Hell, Knies was the 3rd most productive player... on his line.
I like him, but that's a bold choice.— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) March 14, 2023
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MAY 2, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Jackson Blake | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mike Reilly | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Taylor Hall | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | - | - | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Denver Barkey | - | - | - | |
| Alex Bump | - | - | - | |
| William Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Noah Cates | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| Sean Couturier | - | - | - | |
| Jamie Drysdale | - | - | - | |
| Christian Dvorak | - | - | - | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | - | - | - | |
| Tyson Foerster | - | - | - | |
| Luke Glendening | - | - | - | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | - | - | - | |
| Garnet Hathaway | - | - | - | |
| Mark Jankowski | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||