LeBlanc; SCSU Hockey Team to be honored on National Collegiate Hockey Conference night at Target Field

Minneapolis, MN (Tuesday, June 11, 2013) – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is pleased to announce that the Minnesota Twins will honor college hockey’s best player and his teammates in their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, June 12.

Former St. Cloud State standout Drew LeBlanc will be joined on the field by several of his teammates and coaches as the Twins honor them for their outstanding accomplishments during the 2012-2013 college hockey season. In addition, LeBlanc will throw out the first pitch to kick off the Twins-Phillies game. The pre-game ceremony begins at 6:50 pm.

LeBlanc capped his senior year by earning the 2013 Hobey Baker Award winner as the nation’s top collegiate hockey player. He is the first player in the history of the SCSU hockey program to receive the award.

A native of Hermantown, Minn., LeBlanc led the nation with 37 assists and had 50 points in 2012-13. A first-team CCM All-American, LeBlanc became the first player in the history of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association to earn the league's Player of the Year Award and also the WCHA's Student-Athlete of the Year award in the same season.

A member of the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America Division I At-Large team, LeBlanc was selected as this year's Premier Player Award winner for college hockey. LeBlanc is slated to accept the Premier Player Award at Target Center prior to the First Pitch event.

LeBlanc helped lead the Huskies to the NCAA Midwest Region Championship and SCSU’s first every trip to the Frozen Four. The Huskies won their first ever WCHA regular-season title, finishing the year with a 25-16-1 overall mark and an 18-9-1 WCHA record.

A team captain at SCSU in 2012-13, LeBlanc signed a professional contract with the Chicago Blackhawks and made his NHL debut in April.

Downtown Minneapolis will become more familiar to the Huskies and their fans as they begin play next season in the NCHC. The Huskies will join Colorado College, University of Denver, Miami University, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of North Dakota, and Western Michigan University in the NCHC which will begin competition in 2013-2014. The NCHC will culminate its first season of existence with a conference tournament set to take place at Target Field’s next door neighbor, Target Center, on March 21-22, 2014. Ticket packages for the tournament can be reserved now at AXS.com. Packages range in price from $60 to $130 and include a ticket to all four games of the tournament.

About the National Collegiate Hockey Conference: The National Collegiate Hockey Conference is the eight-school, Division I men’s hockey conference that will start play in the 2013-14 season. The NCHC’s member institutions are: Colorado College, University of Denver, Miami University, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of North Dakota, St. Cloud State University and Western Michigan University. Since 2000, NCHC’s members have produced four NCAA Champions, 15 NCAA Frozen Four appearances, 13 conference regular-season championships and 12 conference tournament championships. All eight members have been participants in the NCAA Ice Hockey Championship tournament at least once since 2010. For more information, please visit http://www.nchchockey.com.

About Target Center: Located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis’ vibrant Warehouse District and adjacent to Target Field, Target Center opened its doors in 1990 and is best known as the home of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. The arena, owned by the City of Minneapolis and operated by AEG, attracts more than one million visitors a year thanks to its professional basketball teams; sporting events such as college and high school hockey and high school basketball; and entertainment events including major concerts, family shows and other attractions.