Isaac Howard Adds the Jim Johannson College Player of the Year Award to his Loaded Trophy Case
Adam Nightingale has spent plenty of time around Isaac Howard to know what makes him tick as a hockey player and as a human.
Therefore, the Michigan State men’s hockey coach had a succinct description of Howard.
“I’ve never seen him have a bad day at the rink,” Nightingale said. “He’s hungry to get better. Loves, loves winning. Super-competitive player and obviously gifted offensively.”
Those traits paved the way for a terrific junior season with the Spartans. Howard led the nation in points per game at 1.41 en route to becoming the third player in Michigan State history to win the Hobey Baker Award.
The accolades kept coming for Howard, as he recently was named USA Hockey’s Jim Johannson College Player of the Year. He will be among a number of individuals honored at the USA Hockey President’s Dinner on June 6 in Denver.
Nightingale has had a front row seat for a lot of Howard’s development. He coached Howard for two years at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and then the last two seasons at Michigan State.
Howard, who hails from Hudson, Wisconsin, spent his freshman season at Minnesota-Duluth before transferring to Michigan State.
Howard, a 5-foot-11-inch, 190-pound left wing with a left-handed shot, has always had top-tier talent. Following Howard’s two years with the NTDP, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected him in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
But this season, Howard seemed to kick it into another gear by becoming a reliable goal scorer at the collegiate level. After scoring six goals in 35 games at Duluth and eight in 42 games in his first season with the Spartans, Howard racked up 26 goals to go along with 26 assists this season. He led the Big Ten in goals as Michigan State won the league regular-season and tournament championships.
“The combination of the play away from the puck and, I thought last year, he created a lot, was maybe a little snakebit too, the puck didn’t go in for him as much, but he created a lot of good chances,” Nightingale said. “I just think improving away from the puck, he’s created even more quality chances. He works hard on a shot after practice and then in our shooting room. He definitely has a nose for the net.”
Howard did display a tremendous ability to score with the NTDP, notching 32 and 33 goals in his two seasons, accompanied by 41 and 49 assists. Howard also has a wealth of international experience, highlighted by scoring two goals in the gold-medal game of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, helping the Americans win the tournament for the first time since 2021.
Howard recently got more international experience by being one of two college players on the U.S. roster for the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
“He’s really matured as a player since I first came to know him with the National Team Development Program, watching him really work hard,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, USA Hockey’s assistant executive director of hockey operations. “The first year there was hard on him, but he’s really matured into a nice player and person. On and off the ice, he gives it everything he has. So, he’s a really wonderful guy.”
Even with all the accolades coming his way — the Hobey Baker, USA Hockey’s College Player of the Year, All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year — Nightingale hasn’t noticed much of a change in Howard’s demeanor.
“He’s a team guy,” Nightingale concluded. “He’s handled it well. He’s acknowledged that he’s played with good linemates and it’s a big deal for Michigan State to have a Hobey Baker winner and now the Jim Johannson award. So, he’s handled it with humility and class.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Source: usahockey.com