The CCHA Best Defensive Forward is an annual award given out at the conclusion of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) regular season to the best defensive forward in the conference as voted by the coaches of each CCHA team.
The Best Defensive Forward was first awarded in 1990 and every year thereafter until 2013 when the original CCHA was dissolved as a consequence of the Big Ten Conference forming its men's ice hockey conference.
The CCHA was revived in 2020, with play resuming in the 2021–22 season, by seven schools that left the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, with an eighth school joining before play started. The revived league folded the Best Defensive Forward award into a new CCHA Forward of the Year award. The award was revived in 2024.
Jackson Jutting is the only player to win the award multiple times.
Award winners
Year Winner Position School 1989–90 Pete Stauber Left wing Lake Superior State 1990–91 Jeff Napierala Right wing Lake Superior State 1991–92 Pat Ferschweiler Right wing Western Michigan 1992–93 Chris Bergeron Center Miami 1993–94 Mike Stone Center Michigan 1994–95 Wayne Strachan Right wing Lake Superior State 1995–96 Bates Battaglia Left wing Lake Superior State 1996–97 John Madden Center Michigan 1997–98 Terry Marchant Center Lake Superior State 1998–99 Mike York Center Michigan State 1999–00 Shawn Horcoff Center Michigan State 2000–01 John Nail Right wing Michigan State 2001–02 Bobby Andrews Center Alaska-Fairbanks 2002–03 Jed Ortmeyer Right wing Michigan
Year Winner Position School 2003–04 Dwight Helminen Center Michigan 2004–05 Eric Nystrom Left wing Michigan 2005–06 Drew Miller Left wing Michigan State 2006–07 Nathan Davis Center Miami 2007–08 Justin Abdelkader Center Michigan State 2008–09 Tim Miller Left wing Michigan 2009–10 Tommy Wingels Center Miami 2010–11 Carl Hagelin Left wing Michigan 2011–12 Luke Glendening Right wing Michigan 2012–13 Dane Walters Right wing Western Michigan 2023–24 Jackson Jutting Forward Bemidji State Connor Milburn Forward Lake Superior State 2024–25 Jackson Jutting Forward Bemidji State 2025–26 Lucas Wahlin Forward St. Thomas
Winners by school School WinnersMichigan 8Lake Superior State 6Michigan State 5Miami 3Bemidji State 2Western Michigan 2Alaska 1St. Thomas 1
Winners by position Position Winners Center 11 Right wing 7 Left wing 6 Forward 4
See also CCHA Awards
References General
Specific
External links CCHA awards (incomplete)