The CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman is an annual award given out at the conclusion of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) regular season to the best defensive defenseman in the conference as voted by the coaches of each CCHA team.
The Best Defensive Defenseman was first awarded in 1990 and every year thereafter until 2013 when the original CCHA was dissolved as a consequence of the Big Ten 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 chose to fold its previous awards for Best Defensive and Best Offensive Defenseman into a single CCHA Defenseman of the Year award. The award was revived in 2024.
Three players (Tyler Harlton, Mike Weaver and Danny DeKeyser) have received the award two separate times, each doing so in consecutive years. Additionally, Andy Greene is the only defenseman to win both the "Best Defensive" and "Best Offensive" Defenseman in the same year (2005–06).
Award winners
Year Winner School 1989–90 Dan Keczmer Lake Superior State 1990–91 Karl Johnston Lake Superior State 1991–92 Joby Messier Michigan State 1992–93 Bob Marshall Miami 1993–94 Brent Brekke Western Michigan 1994–95 Steve Halko Michigan 1995–96 Mike Matteucci Lake Superior State 1996–97 Tyler Harlton Michigan State 1997–98 Tyler Harlton Michigan State 1998–99 Mike Weaver Michigan State 1999–00 Mike Weaver Michigan State 2000–01 Andrew Hutchinson Michigan State 2001–02 Mike Komisarek Michigan
Year Winner School 2002–03 Brad Fast Michigan State 2003–04 Doug Andress Ohio State 2004–05 Nathan Oystrick Northern Michigan 2005–06 Andy Greene Miami 2006–07 Matt Hunwick Michigan 2007–08 Alec Martinez Miami 2008–09 Kyle Lawson Notre Dame 2009–10 Will Weber Miami 2010–11 Sean Lorenz Notre Dame 2011–12 Danny DeKeyser Western Michigan 2012–13 Danny DeKeyser Western Michigan 2023–24 Kyle Looft Bemidji State 2024–25 Chase Pietila Michigan Tech 2025–26 Jack Anderson Michigan Tech
Winners by school School WinnersMichigan State 7Miami 4Lake Superior State 3Michigan 3Western Michigan 3Michigan Tech 2Notre Dame 2Bemidji State 1Northern Michigan 1Ohio State 1
See also CCHA Awards CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman
References General
Specific
External links CCHA awards (incomplete)