CCHA Best Defensive Forward


The CCHA Best Defensive Forward is an annual award given out at the conclusion of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association 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 2010–2014 [NCAA conference realignment#Ice hockey|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

YearWinnerPositionSchool
1989–90 [NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|1989–90]Pete StauberLeft wingLake Superior State
1990–91 [NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|1990–91]Jeff NapieralaRight wingLake Superior State
1991–92 NCAA [Division I men's ice hockey season|1991–92]Pat FerschweilerRight wingMichigan Broncos men's ice hockey|Western Michigan]
1992–93Chris BergeronCenterMiami
1993–94Mike StoneCenterMichigan
1994–95Wayne StrachanRight wingLake Superior State
1995–96Bates BattagliaLeft wingLake Superior State
1996–97John MaddenCenterMichigan
1997–98Terry MarchantCenterLake Superior State
1998–99Mike YorkCenterMichigan State
1999–00Shawn HorcoffCenterMichigan State
2000–01John NailRight wingMichigan State
2001–02Bobby AndrewsCenterAlaska-Fairbanks
2002–03Jed OrtmeyerRight wingMichigan

YearWinnerPositionSchool
2003–04Dwight HelminenCenterMichigan
2004–05Eric NystromLeft wingMichigan
2005–06Drew MillerLeft wingMichigan State
2006–07Nathan DavisCenterMiami
2007–08Justin AbdelkaderCenterMichigan State
2008–09Tim MillerLeft wingMichigan
2009–10Tommy WingelsCenterMiami
2010–11Carl HagelinLeft wingMichigan
2011–12Luke GlendeningRight wingMichigan
2012–13Dane WaltersRight wingWestern Michigan
2023–24Jackson JuttingForwardBemidji State
2023–24Connor MilburnForwardLake Superior State
2024–25Jackson JuttingForwardBemidji State

Winners by school

Winners by position

General

Specific