Cornell netminder Mitch Gillam is a Hobey Baker Award contender for the third year running. (Courtesy of Cornell University Athletics) 

As the NCAA Hockey season is drawing to an end and the Conference races are heating up, it is time to begin voting for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top player in NCAA hockey. This season, five BCHL alums have the opportunity to take home the prestigious NCAA award.

Harvard's Alexander Kerfoot (Coquitlam Express), Cornell Goaltender Mitch Gillam (Chilliwack Chiefs), Vermont's Mario Puskarich (Langley Rivermen), Bentley forward Max French (Kelowna/Westside Warriors), and Michigan tech Goaltender Angus Redmond are all among the list of 66 names representing 40 different NCAA schools.

This first phase of fan balloting will run now through March 5. Phase two of fan balloting will begin on March 16 from the list of Top Ten Hobey Baker finalists and will close March 26. The 2017 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced from a field of three Hobey Hat Trick finalists on Friday, April 7, during the Frozen Four in Chicago.

Here is a closer look at the BCHL grads on the list:

Alexander Kerfoot, F, Harvard 
Kerfoot notched 33 goals and 55 points in only 72 games skating with the Express between 2010 and 2013. He is currently senior co-captain at Harvard and was a fifth round draft pick (150th overall) of the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Mitch Gillam, G, Cornell
Gillam backstopped Chilliwack for two seasons (2011-2013) and had a combined 50 wins over the two seasons. He is currently in his senior season at Cornell where he has been the starter for three seasons and has kept his GAA hovering around the 2.00 mark, with a .923 save percentage.

Mario Puskarich, F, Vermont
Mario Puskarich was a fan favourite during his two seasons with the Langley Rivermen, where he accumulated 72 goals and 148 points in 115 games from 2011 to 2013. He carried that success with him to Vermont where he has scored 19 goals as a freshman and at least 10 goals in each of his 3+ years.

Max French, F, Bentley
French played parts of five season with the Westside/West Kelowna Warriors from 2008 to 2013, scoring 67 goals and 149 points in 193 BCHL games. He is a Senior Assistant Captain at Bentley and has seen his points increase each year he has been there never scoring under 20 points per season. 

Angus Redmond, G, Michigan Tech
Redmond spent four seasons with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and played in at least 30 games in three of the four seasons, posting a combined 59 wins and eight shutouts. He is currently a freshman starter at Michigan Tech, posting a sub-2.00 GAA as the season nears the end. 

The Hobey Baker Award has been awarded since 1981; the last three winners are Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel and Jimmy Vesey. Recent Top 10 finalists for the award from the BCHL include Alex Petan, Mike Reilly, Joey LaLeggia, Matt Garbowsky, Joel Rumpel, Carsen Chuback and Justin Schultz.

Past BCHL graduates to win the award are Paul Kariya, Brendan Morrison Jason Krog and Ryan Duncan.

Voting is now open and College Hockey fans can cast their vote by going to www.hobeybaker.com/vote.